Gender and Social Seed Networks for Climate Change Adaptation: Evidence from Bean, Finger Millet, and Sorghum Seed Systems in East Africa

Abstract

In many East African countries, women and men have different levels of access to formal markets for agricultural inputs, including seed, reflecting a combination of gender norms and resource constraints. As a result, women and men may have different levels of participation in—and reliance upon—informal seed systems for sourcing preferred planting material and accessing new crop varieties over time. We use network analysis to explore differences in seed networks accessed by women and men for three major food security crops—beans, finger millet, and sorghum—in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Drawing on data from an original survey of 1001 rural farm households across five study sites, we find that women, on average, have fewer connections to experts and farmers’ groups than men but are relatively better connected in farmer-to-farmer social networks across different farming systems. We further find women’s and men’s networks are clustered by gender (i.e., women’s networks include more women, and men’s networks include more men)—and that men’s networks are more likely to exchange improved seed. Women’s networks, though sometimes larger, are less likely to exchange improved varieties that might help farmers adapt to climate change. Women farmers across contexts may also be more reliant on farmer-to-farmer networks than men due to their relative isolation from other seed and information sources. Findings emphasize the need for careful attention to the different implications of seed policies, market interventions, and other seed system reforms to support gender-equitable food security options for women and men in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Role of Gender and Institutional Dynamics in Adapting Seed Systems to Climate Change: Case Studies from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda

“…Social network analysis with the same study participants shows that in all sites, women had more connections with other women with greater access to local varieties. Whereas, men were more likely to exchange seed and information amongst themselves with more access to improved varieties [6].…”

“…Compared to men, women tend to form stronger family ties and share learning experiences within social networks in their communities [44]. Social networks that provide agriculturerelated information for women are largely composed of women, which might limit their access to and learning about new agricultural technologies compared to the more formal connections that are available to their male counterparts [6,37]. Male farmers tend to subscribe to social networks that are predominantly male [46] from which they acquire first-hand updated agricultural information.…”

“…Some of the climate change-induced environmental changes that impact crop production include heat stress, 2 of 26 drought stress, shorter cropping seasons and unpredictable rainfall patterns [3][4][5]. Farmers can adapt to climate change by switching to more resilient crops, such as millet, sorghum and cassava, or to more resilient varieties with desirable traits [6]. Other options for adapting to climate change include accessing new technologies related to seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and irrigation [7].…”

Overview of Poultry Management as a Key Factor for Solving Food and Nutritional Security with a Special Focus on Chicken Breeding in East African Countries

“…Correspondingly, the deteriorating climate circumstances, such as droughts and floods, exacerbate the vulnerability of the agricultural system in the region [ 1 ]. The East African region is also among the regions most vulnerable to food insecurity issues in SSA, with some of the highest rates of undernutrition globally [ 6 , 7 ]. East Africa’s economies are heavily dependent on small-scale agriculture, with at least two-thirds of all food production in the region coming from smallholder farms of less than 2 hectares and with minimal livestock holdings [ 6 , 8 ].…”

“…The East African region is also among the regions most vulnerable to food insecurity issues in SSA, with some of the highest rates of undernutrition globally [ 6 , 7 ]. East Africa’s economies are heavily dependent on small-scale agriculture, with at least two-thirds of all food production in the region coming from smallholder farms of less than 2 hectares and with minimal livestock holdings [ 6 , 8 ]. Thus, the agricultural sector, which employs a high proportion of the population and over 90% of some rural populations, while contributing about 25-30% of the national income in most low-income countries, is left in the hands of poorly equipped smallholders [ 1 ].…”