Women’s empowerment in Tanzania Cashew Value Chain: Assessment of Opportunities and Constraints
Cashew is one of the cash crops mostly grown by smallholder farmers in Tanzania. It provides a major source of rural employment and income. Women provide 90% of labor in small-scale cashew processing and largely sell to the domestic market. However, women face constraints in increasing the productiv...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Ponencia |
| Language: | Inglés |
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International Food Policy Research Institute
2023
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/137072 |
| _version_ | 1855532418419654656 |
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| author | Aku, Aika Mather, David Bryan, Elizabeth Mpenda, Zena Mpunde, Venance |
| author_browse | Aku, Aika Bryan, Elizabeth Mather, David Mpenda, Zena Mpunde, Venance |
| author_facet | Aku, Aika Mather, David Bryan, Elizabeth Mpenda, Zena Mpunde, Venance |
| author_sort | Aku, Aika |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Cashew is one of the cash crops mostly grown by smallholder farmers in Tanzania. It provides a major source of rural employment and income. Women provide 90% of labor in small-scale cashew processing and largely sell to the domestic market. However, women face constraints in increasing the productivity and profitability of small processing operations. This study assesses the effectiveness of an intervention that provided equipment and training to women’s cashew processing groups (WCPGs) in the Mtwara and Lindi regions, implemented by the Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO). The study uses mixed methods including in-depth interviews with women processors and local experts, and a quantitative survey of the costs and benefits of small processing facilities. The study found that WCPGs using improved processing equipment achieved a 25% productivity gain, on average, compared with control group WCPGs. However, groups receiving the equipment still face some constraints, including accessing raw cashew. These constraints limit the extent to which efficiency and quality gains can be converted into higher income, and access to markets to sell processed cashew, forcing these WCPGs to rely on sales-agent intermediaries, reducing profits and increasing the risk of losses. The effectiveness of the SIDO intervention was further limited by lack of cohesion of some groups. The results suggest that such interventions need to take a more holistic approach, recognizing the multiple challenges women face in agri-food systems. In addition to processing equipment, the SIDO intervention should target experienced, well-functioning processing groups; provide training on group management; facilitate market access and contract enforcement. |
| format | Ponencia |
| id | CGSpace137072 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publishDateRange | 2023 |
| publishDateSort | 2023 |
| publisher | International Food Policy Research Institute |
| publisherStr | International Food Policy Research Institute |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1370722025-03-13T19:11:48Z Women’s empowerment in Tanzania Cashew Value Chain: Assessment of Opportunities and Constraints Aku, Aika Mather, David Bryan, Elizabeth Mpenda, Zena Mpunde, Venance gender agriculture research women's empowerment cashews value chains Cashew is one of the cash crops mostly grown by smallholder farmers in Tanzania. It provides a major source of rural employment and income. Women provide 90% of labor in small-scale cashew processing and largely sell to the domestic market. However, women face constraints in increasing the productivity and profitability of small processing operations. This study assesses the effectiveness of an intervention that provided equipment and training to women’s cashew processing groups (WCPGs) in the Mtwara and Lindi regions, implemented by the Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO). The study uses mixed methods including in-depth interviews with women processors and local experts, and a quantitative survey of the costs and benefits of small processing facilities. The study found that WCPGs using improved processing equipment achieved a 25% productivity gain, on average, compared with control group WCPGs. However, groups receiving the equipment still face some constraints, including accessing raw cashew. These constraints limit the extent to which efficiency and quality gains can be converted into higher income, and access to markets to sell processed cashew, forcing these WCPGs to rely on sales-agent intermediaries, reducing profits and increasing the risk of losses. The effectiveness of the SIDO intervention was further limited by lack of cohesion of some groups. The results suggest that such interventions need to take a more holistic approach, recognizing the multiple challenges women face in agri-food systems. In addition to processing equipment, the SIDO intervention should target experienced, well-functioning processing groups; provide training on group management; facilitate market access and contract enforcement. 2023-10-11 2024-01-04T12:47:12Z 2024-01-04T12:47:12Z Presentation https://hdl.handle.net/10568/137072 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Aku, Aika; Mather, David; Bryan, Elizabeth; Mpenda, Zena; Mpunde, Venance. 2023. Women’s empowerment in Tanzania Cashew Value Chain: Assessment of Opportunities and Constraints. Presentation. Presented at the CGIAR GENDER Conference 'From Research to Impact: Towards just and resilient agri-food systems', New Delhi, India, 9-12 October 2023. International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/137072 |
| spellingShingle | gender agriculture research women's empowerment cashews value chains Aku, Aika Mather, David Bryan, Elizabeth Mpenda, Zena Mpunde, Venance Women’s empowerment in Tanzania Cashew Value Chain: Assessment of Opportunities and Constraints |
| title | Women’s empowerment in Tanzania Cashew Value Chain: Assessment of Opportunities and Constraints |
| title_full | Women’s empowerment in Tanzania Cashew Value Chain: Assessment of Opportunities and Constraints |
| title_fullStr | Women’s empowerment in Tanzania Cashew Value Chain: Assessment of Opportunities and Constraints |
| title_full_unstemmed | Women’s empowerment in Tanzania Cashew Value Chain: Assessment of Opportunities and Constraints |
| title_short | Women’s empowerment in Tanzania Cashew Value Chain: Assessment of Opportunities and Constraints |
| title_sort | women s empowerment in tanzania cashew value chain assessment of opportunities and constraints |
| topic | gender agriculture research women's empowerment cashews value chains |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/137072 |
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