Testing the Market Potential for a New Value-Added Cowpea Product to Improve the Well-Being of Women Entrepreneurs in Niger

Abstract

Women street vendors are an integral part of the economy of Niger. They prepare and sell inexpensive food for passersbys and use the money they make to support their families. A common product these women have traditionally made is kossai, a nutritious, high-protein product that has been a customary food for generations. An important challenge for women street vendors is preparing the kossai batter from whole cowpeas, as it is a highly laborintensive and physically-demanding process. In this study, researchers conducted a direct market test in which 100 women in the city of Niamey, Niger, were given two kilograms of coarse textured cowpea flour to use in their daily kossai production. Research indicates that finely ground cowpea flour produces dense, unpalatable kossai, while coarser flour results in a lighter, more palatable product. The women were then surveyed to determine the quality of the kossai produced from the flour and overall client satisfaction. The women found the flour to be highly advantageous, saving them time, energy and inputs, and 79% reported that they would use the flour for their kossai production if it were made available to them. The adoption of this new technology would have numerous effects, including enhanced economic development of Nigerien communities, positive health and nutritional impacts, and the creation of a new sector in the value chain.