Differences in Crop Selection, Resource Constraints, and Crop Use Values Among Female- and Male-headed Smallholder Households in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda

Travis Reynolds,Daniel Tobin,Aidan Mccracken,Gloria Otieno

doi:10.5304/jafscd.2020.094.011

Travis Reynolds, Daniel Tobin + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2020.094.011

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Abstract

A growing body of research suggests female- and male-headed households in low- and middle-income countries differ in terms of crop choices, access to resources for growing different crops, and values placed on crops for home consumption versus market sale. To better understand relationships between gender of the household head, household resources, individual values, and crop choices, we draw on original survey data collected from 1,001 rural households in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Bivariate and multivariate analyses suggest that female-headed households are less likely to grow cash crops, reflecting a combination of resource constraints and social norms. However, on average, female-headed households plant more diverse food crops per hectare of land to which they have access, consistent with past findings suggesting crop diversity is a strategy employed by resource-constrained female-headed households to meet household food security needs. We also find that women surveyed on behalf of their households place a higher value on crops for food security, while men more frequently emphasize income potential. These results provide novel cross-country evidence on how female- and male-headed households, and women and men farmers within households, may prefer different crops and also face different levels of access to resources needed for market-oriented agriculture. Such findings support recent calls for development practitioners to carefully consider how market-oriented programs and policies may differentially affect female- and male-headed households and individuals residing within them. We also underscore the importance of collecting gender-disaggregated data to capture meaningful differences in preferences and constraints across women and men at the inter- and intra-household level. Note: The article's funding disclosure was updated on Sept. 1, 2020; an updated PDF is now posted.

Highlights

Smallholder farmers worldwide, and especially in sub-Saharan Africa, are vulnerable to poverty and food insecurity (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [FAO], UNICEF, WFP [World Food Program], & World Health Organization [WHO], 2019; IFAD, 2016; Niles & Salerno, 2018)
Given the prominent differences in crop choices among female- and male-headed households observed through both bivariate and multivariate analyses, especially between crops typically consumed as food versus crops used for a mix of consumption and market sale, we further examined two survey questions that asked respondents to report their perspectives on the food security importance of different crops, and Household head gender Young adult (15-30 years) Middle age adult (31-45 years) Elder (>45 years) None Basic education Completed primary school Some secondary school Beyond secondary school Off-farm income Adults in the household Percent dependents Landholding Distance to market mobile phone (Mobile) phone Network ties Kenya Tanzania Uganda Constant Valid N Adjusted R2
Building on many previous studies of gender and smallholder decision-making using a range of methods in a variety of contexts (Amri & Kimaro, 2010; Anderson et al, 2017; Bentley et al, 2017; Fisher & Carr, 2015; Me-Nsope & Larkins, 2016; Nuijten, 2010; Pincus et al, 2018; Teeken et al, 2018), our analysis provides two key findings: female-headed households that generally have less access to land and other resources are more likely to diversify their food crop production than male-headed households, and that gender must be considered alongside other variables such as country context and socioeconomic status to more comprehensively understand decisions around crop cultivation

Summary

Introduction

Smallholder farmers worldwide, and especially in sub-Saharan Africa, are vulnerable to poverty and food insecurity (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [FAO], UNICEF, WFP [World Food Program], & World Health Organization [WHO], 2019; IFAD, 2016; Niles & Salerno, 2018). Gengenbach et al (2018) note that market-oriented agricultural development approaches in Africa often focus on empowering female smallholders, as a means of increasing regional farm output and addressing household food and nutrition insecurity. They and several authors highlight limits of market-oriented interventions in promoting and achieving gender equity goals (Gengenbach et al, 2018; Meemken & Qaim, 2018; Tavenner et al, 2019)

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