The Asset Gap: A Feminist Political Ecology Analysis of Sustainable Land Management in Eastern Zambia

Despite decades of promoting Sustainable Land Management (SLM) as a solution to soil degradation and climate variability in Sub-Saharan Africa, adoption rates among smallholder farmers remain low and fragmented, especially among women. Using a Feminist Political Ecology (FPE) framework, this study examines the gendered disconnect between agricultural knowledge and practice in Eastern Zambia. The common knowledge gap hypothesis, which claims low adoption of agricultural technologies among women is due to a lack of agricultural information, is challenged. Instead, an alternative hypothesis is proposed: structural inequalities create an asset gap. Drawing on survey data from 761 smallholder households across six districts, Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression analyses are employed to investigate the factors influencing awareness, training levels, and SLM adoption. The findings reveal that female-headed households are just as aware of SLM practices as male-headed households and perceive training as more useful. However, male-headed households adopt significantly more SLM practices, a difference driven not only by gender but also by better access to land and labour. Furthermore, the study uncovers a ‘project island’ effect, where geographic location predicts adoption more strongly than individual household traits. These results indicate that low adoption among women is not due to a lack of understanding but stems from structural violence that disconnects knowledge from the power to act. The study concludes that current technocratic extension methods are insufficient. To bridge the gap between awareness and practice, policies must move beyond simple information dissemination towards structural solutions that provide credit and labour-saving technologies for women farmers.