A new report from GENNOVATE, a cross-CRP, global comparative research initiative, examines how local women’s and men’s expected roles and behaviors (norms) and social rules affect people's ability to access, adopt and benefit from innovations in maize-based farming. The report, “Gender and innovation processes in maize-based systems,” was developed for MAIZE through a synthesis of individual interviews and discussion groups involving 1,600 women and men from 27 villages of Ethiopia, Malawi, Mexico, Nigeria, Nepal, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.
The results show high variation. In some communities, there is evidence that gender norms and social rules are becoming less rigid, allowing both women and men to share empowerment in farming activities. Interestingly, such communities also perceive a higher rate of poverty reduction. Nonetheless, in some cases embedded social rules, such as hierarchies of wealth and authority which place better-off men at the top, still restrict the empowerment of women and those lower down on the ladder.
One of the most encouraging findings was that overall, both men and women ranked improved maize seed as among the two most important agricultural innovations (alongside conservation agriculture practices). Participants cited increased crop yields and profits as tangible gains from improved maize seed, and women recognized it as of vital importance in maintaining household food security. The main constraints associated with improved maize seed were the financial cost and the inconsistent supply of quality seeds in their local markets. The latter is of particular concern to women, who often rely on seed bought from local markets for their crops rather than that obtained from private seed companies.
The study indicates that agricultural livelihoods are no longer the most viable option for many families in rural areas. Men are finding more lucrative opportunities in off-farm jobs and out-migration to urban centers. Therefore, farmland is increasingly left under the management and toil of women. Women also pursue the majority of agriculture-related informal trading and contribute a significant proportion of the labor in maize-based systems, as well as adopting the role of primary caregiver for the family.
Despite this, evidence suggests much of the agricultural decision-making and implementation of innovative farming practices remains with adult men. Reasons for this include traditional systems of patriarchal land ownership, lack of access to credit and cultural pressures which inhibit women’s freedom of movement.
The GENNOVATE study included interviews with young people, casting light on their attitudes towards rural livelihoods, with the majority of young participants expressing strong aspirations for a non-farm livelihood and a limited sense of empowerment to engage with agricultural opportunities. Given these findings and recent trends of youth out-migration to urban centers, the prevailing view of policymakers—that the growing population of young people (particularly in Africa) can find ample employment in the agriculture sector—may be a challenge to realize.
The changing economic and social realities within which young people find themselves matter enormously, according to a recent study from researchers from CIMMYT and the Institute of Development Studies, and will influence their life choices. Researchers stress that adopting an undifferentiated view of young people as ‘youth’ and applying a single strategy with which to handle them, does not lead to effective management of rural youth issues. Youth research and initiatives must take explicit account of the highly diverse social, economic and gender backgrounds of young people and how these factors influence their ability to exploit employment and entrepreneurial opportunities. The study highlights the need for further research on youth-specific dimensions of rural economies as part of a dual approach, looking mainly at structural and policy changes that benefit rural livelihoods as a whole. Obtaining a more sensitive understanding of young people’s patterns of engagement with agriculture can enhance the effectiveness of policies and initiatives to engage youth with agriculture.
The GENNOVATE report highlights several promising avenues for change. Central priorities are to foster policies that promote the fair and effective integration of women, the poor and young people into the agricultural framework and to improve the capacity of institutions and extension services to nurture women’s, as well as men’s, access to and use of agricultural technology.
The report also encourages a wider participatory environment, in which lessons are learnt from role model local women, men, and young people from diverse social backgrounds, who have successfully adopted innovations and progressive mind-sets in their farming practices. In the household, better cooperation is encouraged through a suite of household participatory tools, whereby men and women share decision-making and resource access within the household.
Overall, the GENNOVATE report to MAIZE calls for a transition to a more inclusive and diverse agricultural framework, in which both women and men are actively engaged and valued. As report authors state, “The GENNOVATE study approach provides a means for large-scale research and intervention programs like the MAIZE CRP to better understand and contribute to social processes where both women and men effectively access and benefit from agricultural innovation.”
Original citations:
Petesch, P., Badstue, L., Williams, G., Farnworth, C., & Umantseva, A. (2017). Gender and innovation processes in maize-based systems. GENNOVATE Report to the CGIAR Research Program on Maize. GENNOVATE Research Paper. Mexico, D. F.: CIMMYT.
Ripoll, S., Andersson, J., Badstue, L., Büttner, M., Chamberlin, J., Erenstein, O., & Sumberg, J. (2017) Rural transformation, cereals and youth in Africa: What role for international agricultural research? Outlook on Agriculture. Vol 46, Issue 3, pp. 168-177.