This document discusses revisiting gender participation in livestock value chains to develop effective policy. It sets the context of high potential for small-scale livestock initiatives but limited attention to policy provisions supporting grassroots implementation. The research problem aims to integrate disadvantaged actor groups like smallholder livestock producers and pastoralists along livestock chains. The objectives examine competitive niches and upgrading opportunities for the poor and women, and vulnerabilities of actor groups. The proposed methodology uses value chain analysis considering gender roles and a multi-pronged theoretical approach analyzing poverty reduction, transaction costs, and business management.

1. Mainstreaming Livestock Value Chains:
Bringing the Research to bear on Impact Assessment,
Policy Analysis and Advocacy for Development
Accra, 5-6 November 2013
Revisiting Gender Participation in Livestock Value
Chains: Prospects for Effective Policy Development
Michèle Mbo’o-Tchouawou
Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support Systems (ReSAKSS)
I

2. Setting the context
High potential for developing small-scale
livestock initiatives
Limited attention paid to policy provisions
contributing successful implementation of
livestock interventions at the grassroots level
Focus on specific actor groups
Limitation consideration of smallholder livestock
producers (rural women and pastoralists)
operating in rural settings
Why Gender
participation
in Livestock
Value
Chain?

3. Salient Facts
Rural poor smallholders, including female livestock keepers
derive smaller gain in production;
more exposed to higher risks than other actors;
Relative benefits associated with the participation of in
value chain operations

4. Research Problem & Question
• Challenge:
Ensure income and benefits are distributed appropriately given
that changes in the chain may affect actor groups differently
• Question:
How to increasingly integrate these disadvantaged actors
groups along the livestock chain?
• Assumption:
Supporting smallholder participation (both men and women)
contribute to:
Socio-economic empowerment
Meaningful approach to poverty alleviation and rural
development

5. Research objectives
• Competitive niches
potentially available to the
poor and women involved
in livestock-related
activities in rural areas
• Access to productive
resources and
opportunities for
upgrading within the
chain
• Prevalence and
composition of
vulnerable actor
groups
• Resource entitlements
and capabilities
• Geographic location
• Information flows
• Political, social and
economic institutions

6. Proposed methodology
• Value chain Analysis
• Multi-pronged Approach

7. Value chain Analysis
Rationale
Gender approach to value chain analysis
considers access to productive activities and
remunerative income-earning opportunities
for men and women who are involved
individually or as smallholder groups.

8. Value chain Analysis
Rationale:
A gender approach to value chain analysis
considers access to productive activities and
remunerative income-earning opportunities
for men and women who are involved
individually or as smallholder groups.

9. Value chain Analysis
Gender-based division of livestock-related
activities
Gender (socio-economic) empowerment
related to assets and capabilities;
Gender-based constraints affecting the
growth of livestock production and the
competitiveness of smallholder livestock
Gender power relations

10. Value chain Analysis
One dimension:
Empowerment - changing gender relations
in order to enhance women’s capabilities
Empowerment - differences in how women
and men are involved in (and benefit from)
value chains
- Effective value chain dynamics:
Multi-dimensional Analytical approach

11. Multi-pronged approach
Theoretical Perspectives
Poverty reduction theory
Theory of transaction costs
Business management theory

12. Conceptual Framework
Smallholder Participation in
livestock value chains
Risk Perception and
Management
Heterogeneity
Infrastructural
& Institutional
bases
Chain governance
arrangments
Possible targeted policy measures

13. Thank you!