Women's seed entrepreneurship in aquaculture, maize, and poultry value chains in Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania
Seed systems are essential to bring good genetic material to farmers. Women farmers, however, have benefited less than men farmers from seed systems in low and middle income countries. We identify factors that inhibit and promote women's success in seed businesses through three case studies of...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1198130/full |
| _version_ | 1797294301321887744 |
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| author | Cathy Rozel Farnworth Alessandra Galiè Tatiana Gumucio Humphrey Jumba Berber Kramer Catherine Ragasa |
| author_facet | Cathy Rozel Farnworth Alessandra Galiè Tatiana Gumucio Humphrey Jumba Berber Kramer Catherine Ragasa |
| author_sort | Cathy Rozel Farnworth |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Seed systems are essential to bring good genetic material to farmers. Women farmers, however, have benefited less than men farmers from seed systems in low and middle income countries. We identify factors that inhibit and promote women's success in seed businesses through three case studies of women's and men's entrepreneurship across seed-related value chains and country contexts: tilapia seed production in Ghana, marketing and trading of improved maize and sorghum seeds in Kenya, and chicken seed dissemination in Tanzania. Applying a gender lens, we use key informant interviews and focus group discussions to analyze women's and men's motivations to engage in seed businesses, the challenges they confront to start and build their enterprises, and prospects for sustainability and continued success. We use quantitative data to characterize the levels of empowerment of the agripreneurs sampled. For women, the results show that the social normative context of the sector is critical. Time flexibility and profitability are important considerations for women's engagement. Furthermore, across all three country cases, family and external support are frequently key to women's participation and success in seed agripreneurship. The article discusses the importance of government bodies, NGOs, and donors in challenging the normative context around gender resource gaps, as well as provide technical packages and training to develop business acumen. Supporting change of restrictive gender norms in non-threatening ways - such as ICTs - is key. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T21:28:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-edb3f4a0ae6d4bb48fc0e6da498e8525 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2571-581X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T21:28:16Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems |
| spelling | doaj.art-edb3f4a0ae6d4bb48fc0e6da498e85252024-02-27T04:21:55ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems2571-581X2024-02-01810.3389/fsufs.2024.11981301198130Women's seed entrepreneurship in aquaculture, maize, and poultry value chains in Ghana, Kenya, and TanzaniaCathy Rozel Farnworth0Alessandra Galiè1Tatiana Gumucio2Humphrey Jumba3Berber Kramer4Catherine Ragasa5Independent Gender Researcher, Münster, GermanyPolicies, Institutions and Livelihoods, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, KenyaDepartment of Research, Evaluation, and Learning, Landesa, Washington, DC, United StatesPolicies, Institutions and Livelihoods, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, KenyaMarkets, Trade, and Institutions, International Food Policy Research Institute, Nairobi, KenyaInternational Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, United StatesSeed systems are essential to bring good genetic material to farmers. Women farmers, however, have benefited less than men farmers from seed systems in low and middle income countries. We identify factors that inhibit and promote women's success in seed businesses through three case studies of women's and men's entrepreneurship across seed-related value chains and country contexts: tilapia seed production in Ghana, marketing and trading of improved maize and sorghum seeds in Kenya, and chicken seed dissemination in Tanzania. Applying a gender lens, we use key informant interviews and focus group discussions to analyze women's and men's motivations to engage in seed businesses, the challenges they confront to start and build their enterprises, and prospects for sustainability and continued success. We use quantitative data to characterize the levels of empowerment of the agripreneurs sampled. For women, the results show that the social normative context of the sector is critical. Time flexibility and profitability are important considerations for women's engagement. Furthermore, across all three country cases, family and external support are frequently key to women's participation and success in seed agripreneurship. The article discusses the importance of government bodies, NGOs, and donors in challenging the normative context around gender resource gaps, as well as provide technical packages and training to develop business acumen. Supporting change of restrictive gender norms in non-threatening ways - such as ICTs - is key.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1198130/fullgenderagripreneurshipfish seed systemspoultry seed systemsmaize seed systems |
| spellingShingle | Cathy Rozel Farnworth Alessandra Galiè Tatiana Gumucio Humphrey Jumba Berber Kramer Catherine Ragasa Women's seed entrepreneurship in aquaculture, maize, and poultry value chains in Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems gender agripreneurship fish seed systems poultry seed systems maize seed systems |
| title | Women's seed entrepreneurship in aquaculture, maize, and poultry value chains in Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania |
| title_full | Women's seed entrepreneurship in aquaculture, maize, and poultry value chains in Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania |
| title_fullStr | Women's seed entrepreneurship in aquaculture, maize, and poultry value chains in Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania |
| title_full_unstemmed | Women's seed entrepreneurship in aquaculture, maize, and poultry value chains in Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania |
| title_short | Women's seed entrepreneurship in aquaculture, maize, and poultry value chains in Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania |
| title_sort | women s seed entrepreneurship in aquaculture maize and poultry value chains in ghana kenya and tanzania |
| topic | gender agripreneurship fish seed systems poultry seed systems maize seed systems |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1198130/full |
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