In addition to the social variables presented in Box 7.1, Ellen (1979) has added kinship affiliation, ideology and literacy as additional variables influencing traditional knowledge in simple societies. In many parts of the world, women farmers are most knowledgeable about natural resources because of their constant close interaction with them (Berlin, 1992, Samal and Dhyani, 2006). Women farmers in resource-poor marginal farming systems have deep knowledge that includes ecological, agronomic and consumption characteristics about local landraces, crop improvement, agricultural practices, and the entire value chain and environment. It is argued that in traditional agricultural communities, this experiential knowledge gave women an important role in decision-making both at the family and community levels, consequently contributing to equitable power relations between genders (Rengalakshmi et al., The activity profile of millet cultivation requires women to stay for a long time in the fields, providing them with opportunities for closer observation that enables them to gain deep knowledge about the process of millet farming systems (see Box 7.2).