Gendered Access to Resources, Preferences, and Crop Choices in Arid Regions: A Focus on Oasis Agriculture in Southeastern Morocco

Abstract

This study investigates how production resource access and individual preferences shape genderdifferentiated crop choices in arid regions with strong gender norms. We analyze date palm cultivation at the extensive and intensive margins using data from 109 female and 91 male farmers in southeastern Morocco. After confirming significant gender disparities, the results identify land access, land tenure, and agricultural assets as primary drivers of participation in date palm cultivation. We also find non-negligible gender gaps in its cultivation at approximately 28 percentage points, even after shutting down potential channels, presumably reflecting unobserved gender norms. In contrast, intensive margin analysis shows that risk-loving and, interestingly, impatient farmers plant more date palm trees. The remaining gender gaps in planting intensity after accounting for preferences and resource access are insignificant. Thus, entry into date palm cultivation, rather than investment after participation, is more challenging for female farmers because of the prevailing norms. We also confirm the robustness of these findings to potential sample selection bias. This study highlights the importance of relaxing women's constraints in farming as a policy implication to facilitate sustainable development in arid regions.