Indigenous Knowledge, Gender and Agriculture: A Scoping Review of Gendered Roles for Food Sustainability in Tonga, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Fiji

Jasmina Thomas, Nidhi Wali (), Nichole Georgeou and Seeseei Molimau-Samasoni
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Jasmina Thomas: School of Social Sciences, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia
Nidhi Wali: Humanitarian and Development Research Initiative (HADRI), School of Social Sciences, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia
Nichole Georgeou: Humanitarian and Development Research Initiative (HADRI), School of Social Sciences, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia
Seeseei Molimau-Samasoni: Scientific Research Organisation of Samoa (SROS), Apia P.O. Box 6597, Samoa

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 6, 1-23

Abstract: This scoping review examines the state of academic knowledge around gender and its role in Indigenous/traditional knowledge for food sustainability in Tonga, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Fiji. The different roles played by all genders—men, women and non-binary—in the Pacific Islands can contribute to climate adaptation and knowledge preservation for sustainable food production. The gender lens is especially relevant given the fact that women’s knowledge has, in recent years, been disregarded and marginalised as a consequence of colonial influences and increasing reliance on imported foods. We analysed 14 studies published in English between 2015 and 2024—six from refereed journal articles and eight from grey literature. Three themes emerged linking agriculture, gender and traditional knowledge, as follows: (1) there is a gendered division of labour and culturally defined roles between women and men, although the roles played by non-binary groups remain unclear; (2) intergenerational traditional knowledge transmission has declined; (3) climate change adaptation could be reinforced through passing on traditional knowledge. The findings demonstrate that gendered knowledge is distinct and complementary, and this knowledge should be integrated into Pacific agricultural production to achieve resilient and sustainable farming in the face of climate change.

Keywords: Pacific Islands; gender; agriculture; food security; Indigenous knowledge; traditional knowledge (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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