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Despite the crucial contributions of women to agriculture and food security, female farmers in the Galapagos Islands face persistent challenges that hinder the recognition and valuation of their work. Furthermore, the lack of gender-disaggregated data tailored to their local and contextual realities presents an ongoing challenge for evidence-based policy formulation, hampering the response to their specific needs and challenges. Taking a departure from the dominant quantitative approach in agricultural research, this scholarly article delves into the Galapagos Islands as a socio-ecological system, employing qualitative methods that integrate meaning and emotion. With the objective of exploring the role of women in Galapagos' agriculture, the study contributes to the gender discourses and advances knowledge on the gendered dimensions of agriculture in the Galapagos Islands. Employing semi-structured in-depth interviews, focus groups, and a thematic analysis guided by Ecofeminist Ethics of Care approaches, the research draws upon the lived experiences of 26 female farmers from six parishes in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island. Their narratives sheds light on the nuanced needs, responsibilities, challenges, and concerns that shape the experiences of these women. Our empirical findings reveal four key dimensions characterizing the role of female farmers: providing nutritious food to families and communities, transmitting knowledge and retaining skills, diversifying the agroecosystem, and conserving the environment. Moreover, our investigation highlights the ongoing marginalization experienced by these women across various domains. They encounter significant challenges that hinder their equitable and meaningful engagement in agriculture, including the double burden of childcare and household responsibilities, financial constraints, discriminatory practices, and tokenism. We arrive at the conclusion that, female farmers in the Galapagos exhibit a caregiving orientation within their farming practices. Recognising the significance of their role is imperative. To nurture these caregiving practices, addressing their challenges, such as improving living conditions and providing enhanced opportunities, is paramount. Consequently, we offer actionable recommendations for gender mainstreaming in the Galapagos' agricultural sector.

Agriculture in the populated islands of the Galapagos Archipelago, a protected area due to its unique biodiversity, has been detrimental to its conservation but highly required to meet food necessities. A potential solution to make agricultural farming more sustainable is adopting water-saving technologies (WSTs). Therefore, this study aimed to test the effectiveness of using WSTs such as Groasis Waterboxx® in three of the most valuable crops in the islands through participatory research with the involvement of a group of farmers from the Floreana and Santa Cruz islands and explore a possible transition to more sustainable agricultural practices. Capsicum annuum, Cucumis sativus and Solanum lycopersicum were cultivated using Groasis Waterboxx® and compared to conventional irrigation practices (drip-irrigated controls) to assess the variability of productivity, the number of fruits and individual fruit weight (IFW). In addition, differences in plant traits were analyzed by crop, and island. Results suggested that WSTs such as Groasis Waterboxx® may provide on-farm benefits regarding the yields of the studied traits. From this study, it is difficult to determine whether participation in such a research study will permanently change irrigation practices. However, the participant’s responses to the study suggest an increase in their understanding of the use and benefits of WST.