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In many industrialized countries, there is a strong presence of women farmers in alternative food networks, including within short food supply chains. Studies attribute this phenomenon to the values of care underpinning such initiatives, the possibility for participating women farmers to pursue their own projects (empowerment), and the development of a feminist vision of agriculture. Based on a survey administered to 613 direct-market farmers across Canada (302 women and 311 men), we examine whether women farmers in short food chains have different motivations, beliefs, and occupational experiences than their male colleagues and the extent to which caring values, empowerment, and feminist perspectives explain these differences. Our results show that, in many respects, women farmers have a unique experience and understanding of short food chains, grounded in a desire for caring relations and a belief in the empowering benefits of such marketing arrangements. However, while surveyed women farmers strongly adhered to social and ecological values, these beliefs coexisted alongside economic views more synonymous with conventional farming. Short food chains, despite their potential for empowerment, also continue to present multiple barriers for women, as highlighted by a growing body of feminist scholarship. These barriers include stereotyped perceptions of the role of women in agriculture and struggles balancing work and family life. • Men and women farmers in short food chains experience different levels of occupational satisfaction. • Women farmers associate short food chains with enhanced autonomy and opportunities for skill development. • Female producers in such channels show greater concern for values of care and ecology. • Some women farmers in short food chains are embracing new identities that challenge gender norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short food supply chains have become the focus of considerable research in the last two decades. However, studies so far remain highly localized, and claims about the economic and social advantages of such channels for farmers are not backed by large-scale empirical evidence. Using a web survey of 613 direct-market farmers across Canada, this article explores the potential economic and social benefits that farmers derive from participating in short food supply chains. We used multivariate analysis to test whether a farmer's degree of involvement in direct food channels is positively correlated with levels of work enjoyment, social satisfaction, and economic satisfaction. The results indicate that, overall, direct-market farmers report high levels of occupational satisfaction, although work-related challenges persist, such as stress, excessive workloads, and competition. Farmer participation in short food chains was also a positive predictor of work enjoyment and economic satisfaction, but not of social satisfaction, as measured by the share of total farm sales attributable to direct selling. Net annual farm revenue, the share of direct food sales involving a middleman, age, and gender also correlated with one or more dimensions of occupational satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]