In a chronically dry region of Kenya, outside Nairobi, women are becoming farmer scientists, working with CIFOR-ICRAF researchers to find ways to make the often-parched soil produce food for their families and the market.

The women are testing different types of mulch to see which works best in their difficult conditions. Their next goal is to work with scientists to identify the active compounds in plants they use to control pests.

“Our Indigenous knowledge is still highly valued, because it’s diversified, particularly in rural areas where we don’t have a lot of technology,” says Esther Kiruthi Kagai, founder of the Community Sustainable Agriculture and Healthy Environment Program (CSHEP), a community-based organization that trains small-scale farmers, especially women.

Between caring for their families and tending their crops, “women do so much work that is not recognized” – an inequity that is exacerbated when they do not have property rights, Kagai says. “But when traditional knowledge is blended with scientific knowledge, you can come up with good ideas for innovation that make things easier for women.”