Module 5

Module 5 seeks to engage people in discussions about labour dynamics as well as energy use in small-scale farming. Small-scale farmer households work extremely hard in order to produce enough to sustain themselves. Getting the most out of their labour and time is a major preoccupation.

Many challenges exist in rural areas that place a strain on how productive family farmers can be: low access to health facilities, water and sanitation services, and limited energy options. More and more rural farming families are finding they need to seek other employment on the side. Naturally, this situation has great consequences for labour dynamics on rural small-scale farms.

This module discusses some ways in which these laborious tasks can be eased, and brings up some of the wider systems’ ramifications of using different technologies and energy options. Among others, it refers to sustainability of different energies, links between energy production and climate change, energy and land use, as well as gender perspectives on energy and labour.

Throughout the module, links are made to a variety of educational resources, including games and exercises, articles, videos, photos and ideas for field visits, in order to stimulate discussions and reflection on how labour and energy issues relate to small-scale farming around the world.

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