REPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON GENDER IMPACTS OF COMMERCIALIZATION OF SMALLHOLDER AGRICULTURE, MAY 2003, IITA, IBADAN

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1 REPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON GENDER IMPACTS OF COMMERCIALIZATION OF SMALLHOLDER AGRICULTURE, MAY 2003, IITA, IBADAN 1. INTRODUCTION Workshop objective The workshop was designed to identify opportunities for strengthening smallholder agricultural commercialization in Nigeria. It aimed at identifying possible priority actions to be integrated into projects that promote agricultural commercialization. This is necessary since information available on this subject matter is still scattered and inadequate for determining which activities are best suited to ensure that commercialization would not be to the detriment but rather enhance gender equity in rural societies. The study, and therefore, the workshop was initiated and funded by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations under its Agricultural Management, Marketing and Rural Finance Service (AGSF) and the Gender and Development Service (SDWW) with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) as the implementing agency. Participants The participants at the workshop were drawn from research institutions, development institutions, nongovernmental organizations, universities, government agencies and ministries, with FAO in attendance. Thirty-seven participants were at the workshop from six African countries Cameroon, Côte d Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania. Sessions The workshop was divided into five sessions: case studies, plenary review of main challenges and critical issues, methods for gender analysis and mainstreaming, policy issues, project design, and research issues, follow-up action plans on the way forward in order to build on the findings and conclusions of the workshop.

2 Expected outputs The output will contribute to the development of guidelines for supporting gender sensitive agricultural commercialization in the smallholder sector. Participants would therefore prioritize activities and develop plans of action for short term and long term interventions drawn from Nigerian experiences in gender commercialization of agriculture. The immediate outputs would include: 1 Listing research findings which answered a number of the stated hypotheses; 2 Identifying opportunities for strengthening SFC in Nigeria/elsewhere; 3 Priority actions for projects promoting SFC; 4 Toolkit of methods for gender mainstreaming in SFC projects; 5 Check list of critical factors for gender equitable welfare effects and positive overall household outcomes; 6 Identifying broader intrahousehold impacts of SFC due to spillover effects of general changes in gender roles. 2. PRESENTATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS Opening ceremony The opening ceremony began with a welcome address by the Director General, IITA, ably represented by Dr Robert Asiedu. Two presentations were made at the opening ceremony: i. Overview of workshop and expected output by Dr Patrick Kormawa. ii. Challenges and critical issues on gender and SFC, by Dr Dagmar Kunze of FAO. These papers set the stage indicating the challenges, critical issues from the results of distance survey, and discussed the scope of regional consultation, the outputs and FAO interventions. Session 1. Chairperson Prof (Mrs) J. Olawoye Rapporteur Dr Eric Eboh The five papers presented in this session were mainly on case studies across the African subregion. The session started with findings from Nigerian case studies:

3 Gender and commercialization Nigerian case studies. This was presented by Dr Patrick Kormawa. He briefly outlined the three case studies on gender impacts of commercialization cassava, ginger, and fresh milk enterprises. The report of the cassava case was then fully presented using quantitative techniques of analysis. Gender impacts of small farmer ginger commercialization in Nigeria by Dr Godwin Asumugha of IITA. Both papers discussed gender and commercialization issues among the producing households. They discussed the diversity, perceived impacts, shift in resources, barriers, and role of change agents in gender and commercialization. Both qualitative and quantitative techniques were applied. The third case study was from Ghana and presented by Dr Ivy Drafor of the University of Cape Coast. She raised the issues of incentives and support of men for women. Structural and institutional issues of gender on food and cash crops enterprises across west African subregion by Dr Guy Blaise Nkamleu of IITA, Yaounde. Indicators of commercialization on male managed and female managed rice farms by Dr (Mrs) Bola Akanji of NISER, Ibadan. Comments on session 1 Comments centered on concept and monitoring of process of commercialization, proxy for determinants and who is a commercial and non-commercial farmer. It was suggested that there should be categorization of men and women for meaningful deduction. Presentation should focus on events rather than process. Also use of percentages should be supported with semi statistical tools. Effect of commercialization should be emphasized more on food security and nutrition of the household. Session 2. Chairperson Hon. Dr Bernadette Lahai Raporteur Dr G.N. Asumugha Four papers were presented in session 2 on challenges and critical issues.

4 i) Capital formation strategies among rural women in Abia State: implication for Agricultural commercialization by Mrs Stella N. Odurukwe of Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria. The paper discussed the sources of income of rural women, instruments of savings mobilization by rural women and their capital formation strategies, uses and obstacles. ii) Exploring women abilities to further commercialize the Nigerian Agriculture: policy option, by Prof (Mrs) A.C. Uwaegbute of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria. The paper listed constraints militating against women and agricultural commercialization and discussed policy options in tackling these constraints. iii) Government perspectives in gender and agricultural commercialization in Nigeria by Dr (Mrs) V.C. Agu of Project Coordinating Unit (PCU), FMA&RD, Abuja. The paper called for implementation of planned gender sensitive programme and rapid replication of practices where women excel. iv) Role of farm management in understanding gender roles and commercialization by Dr Okeola of PCU, FMA&RD, Abuja. He reported the formation of farm management advisory service and funding of farmers by PCU. Inputs are given to farmers on cost recovery basis. Nigeria is funding the FAO special project on food security (SPFS). Comments on session 2 Processing and value adding ought to increase income. Family size is a factor of dependency. Rural women should be trained on art of book keeping rather than sophisticated tools of NPV, IRR, and S.A. Intervention should be how to reduce women s load rather than comparing them with men. On the unit of agricultural production, these should be seen in terms of household, cooperative groups and women village groups. Also units should not be seen as undifferentiated. Roles are defined and imposed by society. Session 3. Chairperson Dr (Mrs) Sidi Osho Raporteur: Dr Guy Blaise Nkamleu Papers from session 2 dogtailed into this section:

5 i) Commercialization of agriculture and gender: A case study of women s small plot farms in Sierra Leone by Hon. Dr. Bernadette Lahai. She reported that groundnut is the number one women crop in Sierra Leone, and there is diversification in plots and crops. Crops were grouped in terms of importance for food or market and this determines the movement from local to improved technology. Women labor input was higher than family or hired labor. ii) Commercialization strategies of small peasants in Côte d Ivoire by Dr Sylla Kalilou, CIRES. The paper focused on reforms tailored towards paying attention to impact of global trade policies on gender, curtailing management risk which is high in commercialization, and selecting best practices behind the international market. iii) Gender and commercialization in smallholder agriculture in semi-arid Tanzania by Dr Joseph Hella, Morogoro University, Tanzania. The paper revealed that women constitute 65% of farmers in Tanzania with a holding of less than 4 ha. The main food crops could be classified by gender. He postulated analyses such as time line analysis, context analysis, wealth ranking, and gender analysis. Comments The issue of goals of commercialization whether for diversification or specialization was raised. The view was that we might diversify and gradually go into specialization as we move into commercialization. Crops should be classified in terms of whether commercialized, medium commercialized and not commercialized. Methodologies i) Methodologies in gender disaggregated study by Dr Eric Eboh. The paper began with the development context of gender, methodological protocols and imperatives as well as bases, sampling, deductive, and inductive techniques. It indicated that stratified sampling should be applied based on gender categories while purposive sampling should be used in predefined attributes. Criteria such as sex, age, and marital status or integrating the three should be applied. Gender should be seen as a continum rather than an event.

6 ii) Field and analytical methods for gender and agricultural commercialization studies by Dr T.T. Awoyemi of University of Ibadan. Dr Awoyemi recommended qualitative approach due to poor record keeping, cultural resistance, and better interaction. Tools recommended include focus group discussion, in-depth interview, gender resource mapping, gender disaggregated activity calendar, activities, resource and benefit analyses, and gender activity model (GAM) with auxiliary use of quantitative analyses. Comments It was the overall view that qualitative and quantitative techniques should be used on Gender and commercialization issues, but should be used at different stages of analysis. Session 4. Chairperson Dr Ivy Drafor Raporteur Dr (Mrs) K.A. Taiwo Five paper were presented in this session. i) Roles and impart of NGOs in gender, agricultural commercialization, and lives women in Nigeria, by Mrs Mercy N. Ajuonu, Rural Women Foundation, Lagos. The highlight of the presentation were that: (a) (b) NGOs complement government efforts, NGOs that were put in place both in the past and present include, Better Life For Rural Persons, FEAP, Business and Professional Women, Food Basket and Rural Women Foundation. NGOs form cooperative groups for loan access and training in farm technique. The rural women foundation liaises with organization such as RUSEP to link women to the market. ii) Gender impacts on postproduction system in agriculture, by Dr (Mrs) Sidi Osho of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye. She reported women and children provide 46% of labour force. Women engage in both food production and processing. The active female population is in the age range of 15 to 64 years. She recommended that government and agencies should dwell more on postproduction issues. iii) Gender impact in technology adoption in agriculture commercialization: REFILS experience in Nigeria by Dr R.P.A.Unamma, IAECS Limited, Umuahia, Nigeria. This paper revisited the research-extension-farmer-input linkage system put in place across West Africa for agricultural development.

7 He called for integrating the gender mainstreaming into the system and the development of projects that minimize women workload. iv) Gender roles in the commercialization of cassava products in Nigeria: the study of Ogbomoso-Lagos axis, by Dr (Mrs) S. Odebode of University of Ibadan. She emphasized that women operate small farm sizes and that men, women, girls and boys play major roles in cassava production. Other papers 1.Moving women from subsistence to commercialization: Issues and policy imperative, Dr (Mrs) K.A. Taiwo, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife 2.Gender aspects of Farm household resource and time allocation and impact on agricultural commercialization in S/W Nigeria, Dr M.A.Y. Rahji, University of Ibadan. 3.Issues and policy options on gender and agricultural commercialization, Prof. (Mrs) J. Olawoye, University of Ibadan. 4. Gender, Resource and Labour allocation among smallholders rice farmers in inland valley area of Nigeria, Drs C. Ezedinma and R.U Okechukwu IITA Ibadan. 5. Gender labour dynamics, investments and income distribution, Dr (Mrs) Williams, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Nigeria 3. Working groups The final phase of the workshop was the breaking up into four working groups focusing on developing short-and long-term priority actions. The terms of reference were the same for each working group. i) Listing and discussing research findings from all field study presentation answering stated hypotheses. The issues include broader household impacts, household production decision, income effect, labour production, time allocation, employment prospects and decision-making. ii) Developing a tool kit of methods for investigating the gender issues surrounding the hypotheses. iii) Identifying opportunities for strengthening SFC in relation to the hypotheses. iv) Check-listing of critical factors which are relevant for the issues identified in the stated hypotheses to insure gender equitable welfare effects and positive overall household outcomes.

8 The stated hypotheses were: a) Women involved in SFC have a double economic disadvantage as compared to men: they remain fully responsible for reproductive work (childcare and house work) and often income generated by SFC is controlled by men, even if women invest an equal or higher amount of labor in it generation. b) Gender impacts of commercialization are ambivalent and site-specific. For the above activity, there were concurrent sessions for group work activity. Thereafter a follow-up plenary session to present, collate and discuss findings and outputs from the respective groups, synthesizing the workshop output and developing short and long term priority actions. The other aspect dealt with the collation and discussion of lessons and experiences from the workshop. Here participants were asked to comment on issues raised and the most important thing they have learnt using cards distributed. The responses on the lesson cards were grouped into conceptual, methodology, policy aspects and research needs. Conceptual SFC has synergistic effects. SFC is beneficial especially with gender sensitivity. Equity in resource allocation. Other ways of determining the effectiveness of income generating project for women. SFC affects the reallocation of resources within the household in response to production decision. Gender impacts is imperative in measuring SFC Women are not homogenous. SFC enhances decision making power and high self-reliance. Commercialization is both a process and end results and as such there is need to develop indicators to help place farmers along a particular continuum. The impact of commercialization on gender is more complex than envisaged. Methodology Development of new methods and analytical tools. A marriage of qualitative and quantitative tools for complimentarity

9 Development of multiple tool-kits to gather/ collect data. Holistic concept and context of gender analysis Researchers should improve their work with mix of methods. Unit of analysis might be deferent from unit of respondent in interview. Policy SFC has to be sustained especially the gender analysis Strengthening household gender activities. Increased support by change agents. Means to minimize the negative effects of SFC on nutrition, child care even when income increases. Strengthen drivers of SFC. SFC is positive for household but must be balanced with its negative aspects. Research SFC could reduce child labour. Postharvest issues will enhance SFC Interventions should not be based on general trend. 4 WRAP-UP Tools (i) Unified household model required. (ii) Abinitio, define the focus of research and variables (iii) Complement qualitative analysis with quantitative technique. Interventions (i) Area of marketing. (ii) Integrating project into existing structure (iii) Design effective ways of access to extension (iv) Strengthen farmers organizations. (v) Increase participatory and quantitative method (vi) Sustainability is needed. (vii) A follow-up monitoring is needed (viii) Capacity building / methodology workshop is needed.

10 Main ideas (i) Strengthening household gender activities (ii) Increased support system by change agents. (iii) Equity in resource allocation.