Global forum on food security and nutrition

Nigel Poole, facilitator of the discussion, University of London and LANSA, United Kingdom

Following Barnali's comments on women's involvement in fruit and vegetable production...

I was at a research conference in London on Monday and posed an argument that kitchen gardens for better nutrition don't need much new research - we know that increasing fruit and vegetable consumption is really important, probably among most populations and in most countries.

However, I think an important question is about women's involvement in such enterprises and perhaps the potential for empowerment. How kitchen garden development proceeds is more complicated than production models. I worry about the patterns of utilization of kitchen garden products, opportunities for marketing, and I would like to ask if there is any experience of kitchen gardens that do lead to better incomes, better household nutrition, successful commercial marketing - and female empowerment.

Nigel Poole, facilitator of the discussion, University of London and LANSA, United Kingdom

I have recently finished reporting on work in Burkina Faso on the contribution of tree products derived from baobab, shea and néré to rural livelihoods in Burkina Faso. We wanted to identify and understand the social and environmental factors influencing the utilization of tree products by rural households for home consumption and commercialization, and to explore the contribution of tree products to food security.

We focused on the roles and responsibilities of women for tree product utilization, which we found to differ between tree species, and with household composition. This we think was due to contrasting ecological contexts and evolving social mores. We found no evidence of conflict within households about tree product management and utilization - decision making processes were negotiated and consensual in both regions, even though gender rights and roles were clearly demarcated.

Nevertheless, we concluded that domestication and dissemination of tree planting and regeneration technologies, and tree product processing and marketing initiatives, definitely need a gendered and tree-specific approach in order to build on local norms and capacities - particularly of women.

An extensive report is available at:

http://www.fao.org/3/a-i4878e.pdf

And an article is forthcoming in the journal Environmental Conservation:

Poole, N., Audia, C., Kaboret, B. and Kent, R. (2016 forthcoming). Tree products, food security and livelihoods: a household study of Burkina Faso. Environmental Conservation.

I can send a copy to anyone interested if you contact me at [e-mail].

Md. Sirajul Islam, BRAC, Bangladesh (second contribution)

Recently BRAC Agriculture Programme has taken initiative to promote Nutri-garden model through organic homestead fruits and vegetables cultivation in two most climate vulnerable regions of Bangladesh. Programme participants are being trained on year round production of fruits and vegetables cultivation. Massive campaign has taken on awareness building in producing safe food and restricting the use of chemicals. We envisage that the year round vegetables and fruits cultivation in homesteads will enhance diet diversification and improve nutritional status in household’s level. Only the female participants are being engaged on Nutri-gardening. 13500 Nutri-garden will be established where 324000 participants will be trained on year round production of fruits and vegetables aiming to improve nutritional status of the women and children by the year 2020 in our two project regions.

Barnali Chakraborty, facilitator of the discussion, Research and Evaluation Division of BRAC and LANSA, Bangladesh

So far I know HKI has been implementing homestead gardening program for a couple of decades in Bangladesh in improving income, consumption and, thereby, nutrition. There are different reports on this where the results of the interventions were discussed indicating that homestead gardening increase the income of the women. The point is even after having better income, are the women really able to spend the money for their own welfare according to their choice? There are also examples of agricultural credit programs implemented by BRAC, Bangladesh, where women receive credit for their agricultural activities and may access financial resources. In a study we have found that women who receive agricultural credits less often use it according to their choice. Mostly they handover the money to their male partners who decide on how to spend the money. Even, they don’t have any complain in this regard as they are adapted with such practice. Therefore, in a male dominated scenario it doesn’t matter how much a woman earn or receives, unless she is able to use the resources. We may think of addressing those cultural aspects while planning for any sensitization program in empowering women.

Anjali Verma, Swayam Shikshan Prayog, India

Promoting Women Leadership for Income and Nutrition Security

Swayam Shikshan Prayog’s strategy for sustainable agriculture targets women farmers in landless, marginal and small farmer households across drought-prone regions of Vidharba and Marathwada in Maharashtra. With the third year of drought in these regions, families are caught in a poverty trap due to climate change induced water scarcity and environmental degradation which disrupts agriculture and livelihoods. This in turn, has led to high levels of malnutrition and farmer distress.

SSP’s experience shows that women are most interested in making agriculture viable. They are keen on using basic agriculture equipment, adopting water efficient, low input farming methods and are ready to make a shift in the cultivation pattern - such as use of mixed farming, intercropping and increasing cycles of cultivation.

 

The programme combines three important objectives— nutritional awareness leading to better food security, and increased food self-sufficiency through sustainable agriculture by empowering women as informed farmers and decision makers women’s leadership in their communities. 

Strategy

· SSP’s has created a unique strategy by focussing on the inter linkages between agriculture, food security and nutrition in its initiatives. Primarily, aiming to bring together the key stakeholders – women farmers, local government and other institutions- during different aspects of the program. 

· The program focuses on equipping community women to take charge of building sustainable livelihoods. The project, aims at empowering women farmers with sustainable agriculture information, enhanced skills and solutions. This in turn supports women to be recognized as farmers and leaders of the communities. At a household level, women will be more aware of the importance of nutrition, health status and adopt better practices for improved health and wellbeing.

· The progressive agriculture leaders play key role as community advocates and catalyze collaborations between women farmers and local government institutions to transfer basic agriculture tools prototyped in their labs in the fields through women farmers, livelihoods increase, there have never been easy bridges to bring the two together.

This three-pronged approach together makes the model innovative and pragmatic.

Approach: Sustainable Agriculture

SSP enables women to become farming experts by linking them to updated information, and use of low input farming techniques and tools. Capacity building of women farmers, formation of groups and recognition of women as farmers, in turn empowers women as decision makers to drive the shift towards sustainable nutrition-sensitive agriculture.

SSP’s addresses the key drivers of nutrition sensitive and sustainable farming in following ways:

1. 
   AWARENESS:  Increase knowledge of sustainable agriculture - farming techniques and methods to women farmers through Farmer Field Schools (FFSs) in- low cost input farming methods - bio-composting, seed processing and use of water efficient techniques. At the same time, SSP teams and leaders increases their awareness around safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene practices which reduce the risk of illnesses and nutrient absorption.
   

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  ACCESS: Train women farmers to adopt nutrition sensitive farming and increase food security. Shift to one acre model of farming- cultivate nutrition dense crops in part of their household farms and move towards self-sufficiency. Women farmers are made more aware of locally available nutritious crops through the leaders and group meetings. 
  
• 
  ACTION:  Increase recognition for women’s contribution in agriculture together with increase in decision making with enhanced individual and household income. Also, develop capacities of progressive women farmers by providing leadership training to continue sustainable agriculture intervention.
  
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  LIASONING & ADVOCACY: Women leaders actively participate in linking women farmers groups for technical support with Government Research Institutions such as Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK), Farmer Field Schools, Agriculture University etc.  They support in community advocacy and linking the communities to access various government schemes and programs.