Making Climate Smart Agriculture Work for Nutrition:

The gender pathway

Esther OmosaSenior Nutrition Specialist

International livestock research Institute (ILRI)

Gender-Sensitive Climate Smart Agriculture in Eastern & Southern Africa

2 - 4 November 2016, Nairobi, Kenya

What is CSA Integrative approach to address interlinked challenges

of food security and climate change Sustainably increasing agricultural productivity to

support equitable increases in farm incomes, food security, and development;

Adapting and building resilience of food systems and farming livelihoods to climate change at multiple levels; and

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, where possible

To enhance food security, mitigate CC, and preserve natural resource base…….Agricultural production systems need be: More productive, use inputs more efficiently, have less variability and greater stability in their

outputs, More resilient to risks, shocks and long-term climate

variability

CSA requires shift to efficient use of…… Land Water Soil nutrients Genetic resources The shift requires changes in national/local governance, legislation, policies and financial mechanisms.

Also need to improve producers’ access to markets .

What is malnutrition?Refers to both undernutrition and

overnutrition

Due to a diet that does not provide adequate nutrients/ provides too much nutrients, or when the body does not adequately utilise food that is consumed

Nutrition Situation in Kenya (KDHS 2014)

1 in every 4 children under 5 years is too short for their age (stunted) and will not reach their full mental and physical potential

These children grow with diminished mental abilities and limited physical work capacity, resulting to limited agricultural productivity

Cont….National level - 1 in every 10 children under 5

years is too thin/light for age (underweight)

8 in every 10 children under 5 years are vitamin A deficient

These children are at risk of compromised immune function, visual impairments which may lead to blindness and death

Nutrition Situation cont… 7 in every 10 children under 5 years are iron

deficient

These children are often tired, have decreased intellectual capabilities, and reduced resistance to infection

Causes of malnutrition Inadequate access to food/food insecurity Disease Inadequate care of women and children Insufficient health services and unhealthy environment

Why AgricultureAgriculture addresses a major underlying cause of malnutrition – Household food Insecurity

Access Availability utilization Stability

Opportunities to address stunting through dietary diversity

Agriculture-Nutrition PathwaysProduction pathwayIncome pathwayWomen’s empowerment pathway

Production pathway Affects the food available for household

consumption Affects the price of diverse foods in the local

marketSurplus may be sold- secondary

Income pathwayProduction done for sale

Income used to purchase food

Income can be used to purchase non –food items (social capital expenditure)

Women’s empowerment pathwayAffects income Time allocation-self care during pregnancy and

lactationCaring capacity and practicesFemale energy expenditure –Energy balanceDecision making

Women’s Empowerment PathwayEvidence has shown that when women are empowered, educated, and can earn and control income: Infant mortality declines Child health, nutrition, and development improve Agricultural productivity rises Population growth slows Economies expand, and cycles of poverty are broken

(intergenerational cycle of malnutrition)

Why gender matters Women make up a large percentage of the agricultural labor force in

developing countries (on average 43%, 50% in Africa);

Women are disadvantaged in productive asset ownership (including land and livestock), control of productive inputs (including access to credit, insurance, technology etc.);

There are gender gaps in base education levels, access to extension and information services, natural resource knowledge;

Female farmers produce less than men not because they are less efficient/able farmers, but because they lack equal access to resources.

Women’s economic empowerment Linked to over 50% of reductions in all child stunting from 1970-1995 (Smith &

Haddad 2000)

Women’s income has greater impact on child nutrition and food security than men’s (UNICEF 2011)

However, recent review shows there is limited or mixed rigorous evidence for standard poverty programs on measures of direct women’s empowerment (micro-credit, cash transfers, agriculture interventions) (van den Bold et al. 2013)

Need more rigorous research on agriculture and women’s empowerment outcomes – historically not measured – or measured indirectly without standardized understanding of indicators or methodology.

Women’s Empowerment and Children’s Nutritional Status

• New tool: Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI)

• New survey-based index (PRIMARY, not secondary data)

• Men and women from the same household are interviewed

• Focus on men’s and women’s empowerment in agriculture

• Evidence from Ethiopia and Nepal -Interventions which increase women’s empowerment contribute to improving child nutrition and household well-being

Gender dynamics along the value chain and implications on nutritionGender inequality can affect food and nutrition security outcomes through intra-household gender relations that limit:

Recognition of the rights of women and girls to sufficient nutritious foods

Women’s income control Women’s voice in expenditure decisions

Increased value chain productivity

Nutrition Education/Nutrition SBCC

More value chain/commodities reserved for home consumption

Increase markets access- Link producers to

markets- Develop new markets- Product Development

(Cereals, Dairy, OFSP)

Increased incomes for smallholder farmers

Increased purchasing power to access nutritious foods and Non food items

B. INCOME PATHWAY

C. WOMEN EMPOWERMENT PATHWAY

Training Financial management and energy saving technologies

Reduced Workload(Less energy expenditure)

More income and resources available for womenSave time for self and child care

A. PRODUCTION FOR OWN CONSUMPTION PATHWAY

More value added products in marketIncreased shelf life of VC commodities

Agriculture Nutrition Impact Pathways: AVCD Value chains

SBCC and

Nutrition

Education

More money, time and energy reserved to engage in feeding/ care

INCREASED CONSUMPTION OF DIVERSE

FOODS

IMPROVED NUTRITION OUTCOMES

Expanding the pathways Storage and processing – it ensures continuous supply of food Effects of production on the health environment Making people susceptible to disease- home hygiene, sanitation Fecal oral pathogens spread leading to

Gastroenteritis Diarhoea and fever Poor dietary intake Poor health and nutrition status Environmental enteric dysfunction makes nutrients unabsorbed

even if consumed

Conclusion Given the significant role gender plays in nutrition and effects on agriculture Increase women participation in production Link women to markets to increase opportunities to earn income Link women to opportunities for value addition - trading and

processing Energy saving technologies to save time for care of self and for

the child Expose women to market information to maximize on the profits-

income

Conclusion Promote increased level and equity in consumption of

produce

In-depth gender analysis to understand gender norms and societal expectations on consumption of the certain foods

Thank you!