28 research outputs found
Seed systems smallholder farmers use
Seed can be an important entry point for promoting productivity, nutrition and resilience among smallholder farmers. While investments have primarily focused on strengthening the formal sector, this article documents the degree to which the informal sector remains the core for seed acquisition, especially in Africa. Conclusions drawn from a uniquely comprehensive data set, 9660 observations across six countries and covering 40 crops, show that farmers access 90.2 % of their seed from informal systems with 50.9 % of that deriving from local markets. Further, 55 % of seed is paid for by cash, indicating that smallholders are already making important investments in this arena. Targeted interventions are proposed for rendering formal and informal seed sector more smallholder-responsive and for scaling up positive impacts
Gendered aspirations and occupations among rural youth, in agriculture and beyond: A cross-regional perspective
Based on 25 case studies from the global comparative study âGENNOVATE: Enabling gender
equality in agricultural and environmental innovationâ, this paper explores rural young womenâs
and menâs occupational aspirations and trajectories in India, Mali, Malawi, Morocco, Mexico,
Nigeria, and the Philippines. We draw upon qualitative data from 50 sex-segregated focus groups
with the youth to show that across the studyâs regional contexts, young rural women and men
predominantly aspire for formal blue and white-collar jobs. Yet, they experience an aspirationachievement
gap, as the promise of their education for securing the formal employment they
seek is unfulfilled, and they continue to farm in their familyâs production. Whereas some young
men aspired to engage in knowledge-intensive or âmodernâ agriculture, young women did not
express any such interest. Framing our analysis within a relational approach, we contend that
various gender norms that discriminate against women in agriculture dissuade young women
from aspiring for agriculture-related occupation. We discuss the gendered opportunity spaces of
the study sites, the meanings these hold for allowing young women and men to achieve their
aspirations and catalyze agricultural innovation, and implications for agricultural policies and
research for development. Our findings show that youth and gender issues are inextricably
intertwined and cannot be understood in isolation one from the other
What drives capacity to innovate? Insights from women and men small-scale farmers in Africa, Asia, and Latin America
What are key characteristics of rural innovators? How are their experiences similar for women
and men, and how are they different? To examine these questions, we draw on individual
interviews with 336 rural women and men known in their communities for trying out new things
in agriculture. The data form part of 84 GENNOVATE community case studies from 19
countries. Building on study participantsâ own reflections and experiences with innovation in
their agricultural livelihoods, we combine variable-oriented analysis and analysis of specific
individualsâ lived experience. Results indicate that factors related to personality and agency are
what most drive womenâs and menâs capacity to innovate. Access to resources is not a
prerequisite but rather an important enabling aspect. Different types of women have great
potential for local innovation, but structural inequalities make men better positioned to access
resources and leverage support. Menâs support is important when women challenge the status
quo
The dynamics of farmers' maize seed supply practices in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico
What are the organizing principles that underlie and help shape farmers' seed supply practices in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca? And what are the implications of these practices for maize genetic diversity and the introduction of improved varieties? Local maize seed supply was studied using both qualitative and quantitative methods and a series of factors that influence local seed supply was analyzed. Together they constitute a set of flexible and dynamic practices, which embrace both conservation and innovation aspects. Implications for on-farm conservation and introduction of improved varieties are discussed