Gender Working Papers
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Item How can smallholder farmer-market linkages enhance improved technology options and natural resource management strategies?(Working Paper, 2005) Delve, Robert J.; Roothaert, R.This paper uses case studies from Uganda to highlight and discuss examples where identifying markets for existing and new products has led to increased investment in NRM.Item Fitomejoramiento Participativo: Un Nuevo Desafío en la Generación y Apropiación Variedades por los agricultores de Papa en Bolivia(Working Paper, 2004) Gabriel, J.; Herbas, J; Salazar, M.; Ruíz, J.; López, J.; Villarroel, J; Cossio, DGCIAI trabaha para promover la seguridad alimentaria y el manejo racional de los recursos naturales en todo el mundo en desarrollo.Item Participatory Plant Breeding: A New Challenge in the Generation and Appropriation of Potato Varieties by Farmers in Bolivia(Working Paper, 2004) Gabriel, J.; Herbas, J; Salazar, M.; Ruíz, J.; López, J.; Villarroel, J; Cossio, DExperiments on participatory plant breeding were carried out with the active participation of farmers from the Morochata Region in Bolivia.Item Measuring gender-transformative change: A review of literature and promising practices(Working Paper, 2015-10) Hillenbrand, Emily; Karim, Nidal; Mohanraj, Pranati; Wu, DianaItem SPIA review of: Impact of participatory natural resource management research in cassava-based cropping systems in Vietnam and Thailand(Working Paper, 2005) Dalton, Timothy J.; Lilja, Nina; Johnson, Nancy L.; Howeler, Reinhardt H.Between 1994 and 2003, the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), in collaboration with national agricultural research partners in Thailand and Vietnam implemented a Nippon Foundation funded project titled “Improving the Sustainability of Cassava-based Cropping Systems in Asia.” The purpose of the project was to address the problem of the observed widespread non-adoption of soil conservation and fertility management technologies in cassava production in Asia. Aside from conservation technologies such as contour lines, hedgerows and management technologies including inter cropping, use of manure and mineral fertilizer also genetic improvement technologies, i.e. improved cassava varieties were included in the project. Hence, the nature of the NRM research was that of an applied, adaptive research for already existing NRM technologies and principles but where adoption by farmers was low. Together with NARS researchers and extension agents CIAT was working with farmers in selected project villages. The “farmer participatory research” (FPR) methodology included the joint conduct of on-farm experiments to identify, test and adjust promising natural resource conservation and productivity enhancement cassava technologies. The project therefore encompassed a broader research paradigm that falls under the category of INRM as described in chapter 1.2.Item Using participatory research and gender analysis in natural resource management(Working Paper, 2000) Johnson, Nancy L.; Lilja, Nina; Ashby, Jacqueline A.The use of participatory tools and methods has increased dramatically in natural resource management (NRM) over the past decade, largely because of the recognition that sustainable NRM cannot be achieved without involving the individuals and communities who make decisions about how resources are used. Participation of resource users and other stakeholders is important not only in the management of resources, but also in research oriented toward the generation of information and innovations that shape how resources are understood and exploited. Although there is extensive literature on participatory tools and methods and a growing number of case studies of their use in NRM (Hinchcliffe et al; IDRC; Pretty), it is difficult to form a coherent overview of this body of work, much of which is unpublished. Moreover, the distinction between participatory research and participatory management is seldom made, either in case studies or in the guides to tools and methods. Yet participatory management that is not firmly linked to research—understood as a process of knowledge generation that supports technical and institutional innovation—is often hindered by a lack of new technical options, information and institutions. There has been little systematic analysis of how participatory research (PR) methods and gender/stakeholder analysis (GSA) are being used in NRM research. 1 This study begins to fill the gap by providing a comparative analysis of over 60 participatory NRM research projects compiled by the Systemwide Program on Participatory Research and Gender Analysis (PRGA). The paper looks at who is doing PR research and GSA in NRM, where, how and with what observed or expected impact. Projects are assessed in terms of the type of participation they use, how they select participants, and whom they target as beneficiaries. The costs and benefits associated with incorporating user participation are also analyzed.Item Benefit-cost analysis of participatory breeding program in Syria(Working Paper, 2006) Mustafa, Yasmin; Ceccarelli, Salvatore; Grando, StefaniaParticipatory plant breeding is seen by several scientists as a way to overcome the limitations of conventional breeding by offering farmers the possibility of deciding which varieties better suit their needs and conditions without exposing them to any risk. It exploits the potential gains of breeding for specific adaptation through the selection in the marginal environment. The participation of farmers increases the probability and speed of adoption as well as the breeding efficiency and the effectiveness of the breeding program. The objective of this study is to estimate and compare the benefits and costs of participatory and conventional barley breeding programs. Benefit-cost analysis was used to analyze the costs and benefits of the PPB program at ICARDA and the conventional program at ICARDA and NARS.Item Impact of participatory natural resource management research in cassava-based cropping systems in Vietnam and Thailand(Working Paper, 2005) Dalton, Timothy J.; Lilja, Nina; Johnson, Nancy L.; Howeler, Reinhardt H.In South-east Asia, many of the poorest farmers live in areas with limited potential for crop production. Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is an important crop on these soils, because it is easy to grow, requires few external inputs and its roots and leaves can be used as human or animal feed. Cassava is also planted as an industrial crop for the production of animal feed and starch where market conditions are developed. The wide variety of end uses makes it a popular crop and an effective vehicle for improving the livelihood of poor upland farmers.Item Farmer processes of experimentation and innovation: a review of the literature(Working Paper, 2001) Saad, Nadine‘Lay’ experimentation1 in agriculture and natural resource management dates as far back as the stone ages. It has led to the domestication of today’s crops and landraces, to the development of numerous traditional agricultural practices, and to the existence of a substantial body (or bodies) of Indigenous Knowledge. Something is happening in the field; farmers are not passive. Their cropping patterns and genetic materials are in a constant state of flux. They discriminate what they need from what is less useful. They actively test new and different ways of managing their natural resources; and they continuously apply selective pressures on their crops, and test materials obtained from natural crosses, or from other farmers. Often all this is done without the participation of formal research and extension systems.Item Indicators of gendered control over agricultural resources: a guide for agricultural policy and research(Working Paper, 2016-06-22) Rao, SmritiAlthough the importance of women’s contribution to the agricultural sector in developing countries is now widely acknowledged, there is little systematic evidence on how gender gaps in control over resources have changed over time in response to agricultural policy and technological interventions. In particular, few large-scale, national-level studies examine these effects for developing countries. This is surprising in light of the pervasive impact of agricultural technology and policy innovation on gender differences in control over productive resources for agriculture. Women are farmers and agricultural laborers in every part of the world. They are often responsible for the storage and processing of agricultural products. In some parts of the world, they play a key role in marketing crops. In almost all contexts, they play a central role in ensuring household food security, a goal that in turn affects crop choice and other agricultural decisions. Thus, every agricultural intervention is likely to impact women and, depending on the particular context of gender relations, impact them differently from men (Meinzen-Dick et al 2011).Item Decision guide on developing livestock enterprises with rural communities in Africa. Part 1: rabbits, goats and poultry(Working Paper, 2005) Roothaert, Ralph L.The guidelines provided in this document are not intended to be comprehensive, but rather give field workers and researchers an idea of what to think about before planning to develop new livestock enterprises with communities. The aim is to give the reader enough information to be aware of the possibilities, and to provide warnings to prevent situations of classical mistakes resulting in unnecessary failure of the enterprise. The information is complied for the African context. There is a reference list at the end that provides practical and comprehensive background information on tropical livestock rearing.Item Empowerment through technology uptake: gender dimensions in social capital build-up(Working Paper, 2005) Bantilan, Cynthia; Ravula, PadmajaThis paper explores how and to what extent women and men have benefited from the social capital build-up (referred to as the ability of men and women farmers to develop and use various kinds of social networks and the resources that become available thereof) in technology uptake, and the role of women in this process. Using a case study of ICRISAT’s Groundnut Production Technology (GPT), the process by which farmers – both men and women - as well as the whole community became empowered through the build-up of social capital is systematically documented. The focus of the paper is on collective action as a mechanism to stimulate gender-equitable change processes. Our evidence suggests that the technology uptake process was enhanced with the build up of social capital, whereby the men and women from all class and caste groups came together for improving their livelihoods. Collective action was enhanced with the increased involvement and participation of women. Strong kinship ties were developed among diverse classes including the landless tribal women, which formed the major labor force for this technology. Reference to the Umra case study illustrated in the paper presents the process of empowerment whereby the marginalized group including women gained better access to resources, information, knowledge and some opportunities for political participation. The paper concludes that social networks played a crucial mediating role in the process of technology uptake. The build-up of social capital played an important role in influencing the distribution of benefits from the technology because of the ways in which social networks and social relationships facilitated technology dissemination. Gender relations played a significant role in mediating the translation of economic benefits into well being of the individual, the family and community. Finally, it is suggested that further insights into the role of social networks and power relations in the village may be examined in greater detail by establishing the village network architecture especially including the marginalized groups.Item Assessing the quality of participation in farmers' research groups in the Highlands of Kabale, Uganda(Working Paper, 2001) Sanginga, Pascal C.; Lilja, Nina; Tumwine, Jackson K.In recent years, there has been increasing interest in farmer research groups (FRG) to catalyse farmer participation in research, and to widen the impact of participatory research. However, there is dearth of systematic empirical studies that evaluates the quality of participation in FRG. Using empirical data from a sample of 21 FRGs in Kabale, Uganda, this paper investigates what types of participatory research occurred at the different stages of the research process, how farmer participation occurred, who participates in FRG, what are the factors that determined farmers' participation in FRG, and what criteria should be used in monitoring and evaluating the performance of FRG. Results showed that the types of participation were more of functional consultative and collaborative types, but varied in the different stages of the research process as farmers were increasingly taking on more roles and responsibilities. Results showed that farmer participation in FRG tend to follow a "U" shaped curve, with high participation at the initial stages of the process, followed by dramatic decrease as many farmers drop out from the groups, and slow increases towards the end of the first seasons. Similarly, there was a significantly higher participation of male farmers at the beginning of the process, compared to women. However, as FRGs progressed, the proportion of men decreased while the relative proportion of women increased dramatically to reach about 67% of farmers in mixed groups, and 24% of the FRGs were women only. These results suggest that FRG proved to be a more effective mechanism to involve women and the resource-poor farmers in research who would otherwise be bypassed by conventional approaches. The results of the Logit regression model confirmed that the probability of participating in FRG was higher for women compared to men, and that there were no significant differences in wealth circumstances between FRG members and the rest of the community. We argue that FRG as an approach has a great potential for catalyzing the participation of farmers as partners in research and development activities. However, this requires significant support and personal commitment of researchers to broaden the scope of FRGs from a functional consultative type to a more collegial empowering type, and from variety evaluation to broader natural resources management research and other developmental issues.Item Conceptualizing integrative, farmer participatory research for sustainable agriculture: from opportunities to impact: forthcoming in agriculture and human values(Working Paper, 2000) Fliert, E. van de; Braun, Ann R.Item Participatory cassava breeding in Northeast Brazil: who adopts and why?(Working Paper, 2006) Saad, N; Lilja, Nina; Fukuda, Wania Maria GonçalvesItem Types of gender analysis in natural resource management and plant breeding(Working Paper, 1999) Lilja, Nina; Ashby, Jacqueline A.Item Critical analysis of a participatory procedure applied to cassava breeding(Working Paper, 2004) Hernández Romero, Luis Alfredo; Saad, N; Tumwegamire, SilverItem Assessing impacts of participation: stakeholders, gender, and difference(Working Paper, 2001) Fernández, María E.Item Biotechnology-assisted participatory plant breeding: complement or contradiction?(Working Paper, 2000) Thro, Ann Marie; Spillane, CharlesItem A typology: participatory research and gender analysis in natural resource management research(Working Paper, 2001) Lambrou, Y; Ashby, Jacqueline A.