Sexual Division of Labor in Agriculture

Female agricultural contributions decline with agricultural intensification. W e formulate a n d test a theory of t h e processes of agricultural intensi fcation that explains a high proportion o f t h e variance i n female contributions t o agriculture. Five variables show replicable effects across two or more regions o f t h e world. These are n u m b e r o f d r y months , importance of domesticated animals t o subsistence, use of the plow, crop type, and populat ion density. O f these, t h e first t w o are t h e most powerfulpredictors of female agricultural contributions, while population density has only very weak effects.