Is there such a thing as sustainable agricultural intensification in smallholder-based farming in sub-Saharan Africa? Understanding yield differences in relation to gender in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia
Smallholder-based, sustainable, agricultural intensification is increasingly put forth as a development pathway that is necessary to improve farmer's livelihoods, enhance productivity and engender a surplus that can be used to feed growing urban areas across sub-Saharan Africa. The following ar...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2019-01-01
|
| Series: | Development Studies Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21665095.2019.1593048 |
| _version_ | 1818311409948164096 |
|---|---|
| author | Agnes Andersson Djurfeldt Göran Djurfeldt Ellen Hillbom Aida C. Isinika Miriam Dalitso Kalanda Joshua Wisdom Chilwizhi Kaleng’a Audrey Kalindi Elibariki Msuya Wapulumuka Mulwafu Mukata Wamulume |
| author_facet | Agnes Andersson Djurfeldt Göran Djurfeldt Ellen Hillbom Aida C. Isinika Miriam Dalitso Kalanda Joshua Wisdom Chilwizhi Kaleng’a Audrey Kalindi Elibariki Msuya Wapulumuka Mulwafu Mukata Wamulume |
| author_sort | Agnes Andersson Djurfeldt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Smallholder-based, sustainable, agricultural intensification is increasingly put forth as a development pathway that is necessary to improve farmer's livelihoods, enhance productivity and engender a surplus that can be used to feed growing urban areas across sub-Saharan Africa. The following article examines trends in yields for Africa's largest staple crop – maize – among smallholder farmers in six regions in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia, using longitudinal quantitative data collected in 2008, 2013 and 2017 in combination with qualitative data from nine villages. Substantial increases in yields are found only in Zambia, while yields are largely stagnant in Malawi and Tanzania. In the case of Zambia, however, there is a persistent gender-based yield gap. We use the qualitative data to explain this gap and find that gender-based differences in yields need to be understood in relation to local production systems, as well as the varied positionality of women, where the biases facing women who head their own households are different than for women living in male headed households. In policy terms, technologies that can promote intensification are different depending on these factors, even within the local context of particular farming systems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T08:01:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9ff282b2bd0d41a8a62c8071cc362eb7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2166-5095 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T08:01:30Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Development Studies Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-9ff282b2bd0d41a8a62c8071cc362eb72022-12-21T23:54:25ZengTaylor & Francis GroupDevelopment Studies Research2166-50952019-01-0161627510.1080/21665095.2019.15930481593048Is there such a thing as sustainable agricultural intensification in smallholder-based farming in sub-Saharan Africa? Understanding yield differences in relation to gender in Malawi, Tanzania and ZambiaAgnes Andersson Djurfeldt0Göran Djurfeldt1Ellen Hillbom2Aida C. Isinika3Miriam Dalitso Kalanda Joshua4Wisdom Chilwizhi Kaleng’a5Audrey Kalindi6Elibariki Msuya7Wapulumuka Mulwafu8Mukata Wamulume9Lund UniversityLund UniversityLunds UniversitetSokoine University of AgricultureUniversity of MalawiUniversity of ZambiaUniversity of ZambiaSokoine University of AgricultureUniversity of MalawiUniversity of ZambiaSmallholder-based, sustainable, agricultural intensification is increasingly put forth as a development pathway that is necessary to improve farmer's livelihoods, enhance productivity and engender a surplus that can be used to feed growing urban areas across sub-Saharan Africa. The following article examines trends in yields for Africa's largest staple crop – maize – among smallholder farmers in six regions in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia, using longitudinal quantitative data collected in 2008, 2013 and 2017 in combination with qualitative data from nine villages. Substantial increases in yields are found only in Zambia, while yields are largely stagnant in Malawi and Tanzania. In the case of Zambia, however, there is a persistent gender-based yield gap. We use the qualitative data to explain this gap and find that gender-based differences in yields need to be understood in relation to local production systems, as well as the varied positionality of women, where the biases facing women who head their own households are different than for women living in male headed households. In policy terms, technologies that can promote intensification are different depending on these factors, even within the local context of particular farming systems.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21665095.2019.1593048sub-saharan africasmallholdersagriculturegender |
| spellingShingle | Agnes Andersson Djurfeldt Göran Djurfeldt Ellen Hillbom Aida C. Isinika Miriam Dalitso Kalanda Joshua Wisdom Chilwizhi Kaleng’a Audrey Kalindi Elibariki Msuya Wapulumuka Mulwafu Mukata Wamulume Is there such a thing as sustainable agricultural intensification in smallholder-based farming in sub-Saharan Africa? Understanding yield differences in relation to gender in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia Development Studies Research sub-saharan africa smallholders agriculture gender |
| title | Is there such a thing as sustainable agricultural intensification in smallholder-based farming in sub-Saharan Africa? Understanding yield differences in relation to gender in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia |
| title_full | Is there such a thing as sustainable agricultural intensification in smallholder-based farming in sub-Saharan Africa? Understanding yield differences in relation to gender in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia |
| title_fullStr | Is there such a thing as sustainable agricultural intensification in smallholder-based farming in sub-Saharan Africa? Understanding yield differences in relation to gender in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Is there such a thing as sustainable agricultural intensification in smallholder-based farming in sub-Saharan Africa? Understanding yield differences in relation to gender in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia |
| title_short | Is there such a thing as sustainable agricultural intensification in smallholder-based farming in sub-Saharan Africa? Understanding yield differences in relation to gender in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia |
| title_sort | is there such a thing as sustainable agricultural intensification in smallholder based farming in sub saharan africa understanding yield differences in relation to gender in malawi tanzania and zambia |
| topic | sub-saharan africa smallholders agriculture gender |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21665095.2019.1593048 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT agnesanderssondjurfeldt istheresuchathingassustainableagriculturalintensificationinsmallholderbasedfarminginsubsaharanafricaunderstandingyielddifferencesinrelationtogenderinmalawitanzaniaandzambia AT gorandjurfeldt istheresuchathingassustainableagriculturalintensificationinsmallholderbasedfarminginsubsaharanafricaunderstandingyielddifferencesinrelationtogenderinmalawitanzaniaandzambia AT ellenhillbom istheresuchathingassustainableagriculturalintensificationinsmallholderbasedfarminginsubsaharanafricaunderstandingyielddifferencesinrelationtogenderinmalawitanzaniaandzambia AT aidacisinika istheresuchathingassustainableagriculturalintensificationinsmallholderbasedfarminginsubsaharanafricaunderstandingyielddifferencesinrelationtogenderinmalawitanzaniaandzambia AT miriamdalitsokalandajoshua istheresuchathingassustainableagriculturalintensificationinsmallholderbasedfarminginsubsaharanafricaunderstandingyielddifferencesinrelationtogenderinmalawitanzaniaandzambia AT wisdomchilwizhikalenga istheresuchathingassustainableagriculturalintensificationinsmallholderbasedfarminginsubsaharanafricaunderstandingyielddifferencesinrelationtogenderinmalawitanzaniaandzambia AT audreykalindi istheresuchathingassustainableagriculturalintensificationinsmallholderbasedfarminginsubsaharanafricaunderstandingyielddifferencesinrelationtogenderinmalawitanzaniaandzambia AT elibarikimsuya istheresuchathingassustainableagriculturalintensificationinsmallholderbasedfarminginsubsaharanafricaunderstandingyielddifferencesinrelationtogenderinmalawitanzaniaandzambia AT wapulumukamulwafu istheresuchathingassustainableagriculturalintensificationinsmallholderbasedfarminginsubsaharanafricaunderstandingyielddifferencesinrelationtogenderinmalawitanzaniaandzambia AT mukatawamulume istheresuchathingassustainableagriculturalintensificationinsmallholderbasedfarminginsubsaharanafricaunderstandingyielddifferencesinrelationtogenderinmalawitanzaniaandzambia |