IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/jintdv/v28y2016i6p919-937.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

What Do We Mean by ‘Women's Crops'? Commercialisation, Gender and the Power to Name

Author

Listed:
  • Alastair Orr
  • Takuji Tsusaka
  • Sabine Homann Kee‐Tui
  • Harry Msere

Abstract

We explore the relationship between commercialisation and gender for groundnuts in Eastern Province, Zambia, using a mixed methods approach. Women saw themselves as having greater control over groundnuts than other crops, and both sexes saw groundnuts as controlled by women. Propensity Score Matching showed that machine shelling and higher sales did not reduce women's perceived level of control over groundnuts. On the other hand, women welcomed greater male participation in machine shelling because it reduced the drudgery of shelling by hand, and were willing to trade some control in exchange for the male labour required to capture the full benefits from commercialisation. This suggests the need to re‐think the narrative of commercalisation and gender as a zero sum game in favour of a cooperative‐conflict model where bargaining between women and men can result in higher incomes for them both. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • Alastair Orr & Takuji Tsusaka & Sabine Homann Kee‐Tui & Harry Msere, 2016. "What Do We Mean by ‘Women's Crops'? Commercialisation, Gender and the Power to Name," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(6), pages 919-937, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jintdv:v:28:y:2016:i:6:p:919-937
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Howard, Patricia L. & Nabanoga, Gorettie, 2007. "Are there Customary Rights to Plants? An Inquiry among the Baganda (Uganda), with Special Attention to Gender," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 35(9), pages 1542-1563, September.
    2. Peter Davis & Bob Baulch, 2011. "Parallel Realities: Exploring Poverty Dynamics Using Mixed Methods in Rural Bangladesh," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(1), pages 118-142.
    3. David Mosse, 1994. "Authority, Gender and Knowledge: Theoretical Reflections on the Practice of Participatory Rural Appraisal," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 25(3), pages 497-526, July.
    4. Sascha O. Becker & Marco Caliendo, 2007. "Sensitivity analysis for average treatment effects," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 7(1), pages 71-83, February.
    5. Mofya-Mukuka, Rhoda & Shipekesa, Arthur M., 2013. "Value Chain Analysis of the Groundnuts Sector in the Eastern Province of Zambia," Food Security Collaborative Working Papers 171869, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    6. Judith A. Carney, 1992. "Peasant Women and Economic Transformation in The Gambia," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 23(2), pages 67-90, April.
    7. DiPrete, Thomas A. & Gangl, Markus, 2004. "Assessing bias in the estimation of causal effects: Rosenbaum bounds on matching estimators and instrumental variables estimation with imperfect instruments," Discussion Papers, Research Unit: Labor Market Policy and Employment SP I 2004-101, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    8. Dehejia, Rajeev, 2005. "Practical propensity score matching: a reply to Smith and Todd," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 125(1-2), pages 355-364.
    9. A. Smith, Jeffrey & E. Todd, Petra, 2005. "Does matching overcome LaLonde's critique of nonexperimental estimators?," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 125(1-2), pages 305-353.
    10. Lim, Sung Soo & Winter-Nelson, Alex & Arends-Kuenning, Mary, 2007. "Household Bargaining Power and Agricultural Supply Response: Evidence from Ethiopian Coffee Growers," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 35(7), pages 1204-1220, July.
    11. Sascha O. Becker & Andrea Ichino, 2002. "Estimation of average treatment effects based on propensity scores," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 2(4), pages 358-377, November.
    12. Alkire, Sabina & Meinzen-Dick, Ruth & Peterman, Amber & Quisumbing, Agnes & Seymour, Greg & Vaz, Ana, 2013. "The Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 71-91.
    13. Rajeev H. Dehejia & Sadek Wahba, 2002. "Propensity Score-Matching Methods For Nonexperimental Causal Studies," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 84(1), pages 151-161, February.
    14. Gladwin, Christina H. & Peterson, Jennifer S. & Mwale, Abiud C., 2002. "The Quality of Science in Participatory Research: A Case Study from Eastern Zambia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 523-543, April.
    15. Kumar, Shubh K., 1994. "Adoption of hybrid maize in Zambia: effects on gender roles, food consumption, and nutrition," Research reports 100, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    16. Doss, Cheryl R., 2002. "Men's Crops? Women's Crops? The Gender Patterns of Cropping in Ghana," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 30(11), pages 1987-2000, November.
    17. Chambers, Robert, 1994. "Participatory rural appraisal (PRA): Analysis of experience," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 22(9), pages 1253-1268, September.
    18. Chambers, Robert, 1994. "Participatory rural appraisal (PRA): Challenges, potentials and paradigm," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 22(10), pages 1437-1454, October.
    19. Dey, Jennie, 1982. "Development planning in The Gambia: The gap between planners' and farmers' perceptions, expectations and objectives," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 10(5), pages 377-396, May.
    20. C. Dolan, 2001. "The 'Good Wife': Struggles over Resources in the Kenyan Horticultural Sector," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(3), pages 39-70.
    21. Naila Kabeer, 1999. "Resources, Agency, Achievements: Reflections on the Measurement of Women's Empowerment," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 30(3), pages 435-464, July.
    22. Chambers, Robert, 1994. "The origins and practice of participatory rural appraisal," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 22(7), pages 953-969, July.
    23. Judith Carney, 1998. "Women‘s land rights in Gambian irrigated rice schemes: Constraints and opportunities," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 15(4), pages 325-336, December.
    24. Shipekesa, Arthur M. & Jayne, Thomas S., 2012. "Gender Control and Labour Input: Who Controls the Proceeds from Staple Crop Production among Zambian Farmers?," Food Security Collaborative Working Papers 140904, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Noora-Lisa Aberman & Terry Roopnaraine, 2020. "To sell or consume? Gendered household decision-making on crop production, consumption, and sale in Malawi," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 12(2), pages 433-447, April.
    2. Meemken, Eva-Marie & Qaim, Matin, 2017. "Can Private Food Standards Promote Gender Equality in the Small Farm Sector?," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258088, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    3. Maligalig, Rio L. & Demont, Matty & Umberger, Wendy J. & Peralta, Alexandra, 2017. "Intrahousehold decision making on rice varietal trait improvements: Using experiments to estimate gender influence," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258522, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    4. Ho, Tien D. N. & Tsusaka, Takuji W. & Kuwornu, John K. M. & Datta, Avishek & Nguyen, Loc T., 2021. "Determinants of climate adaptation by smallholder rice producers: livelihood diversification in the Mekong Delta Region of Vietnam," 2021 ASAE 10th International Conference (Virtual), January 11-13, Beijing, China 329401, Asian Society of Agricultural Economists (ASAE).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Marco Caliendo & Sabine Kopeinig, 2008. "Some Practical Guidance For The Implementation Of Propensity Score Matching," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(1), pages 31-72, February.
    2. Tsusaka, Takuji W. & Orr, Alastair & Msere, Harry W. & Homann-KeeTui, Sabine & Maimisa, Penias & Twanje, Gift H. & Botha, Rosemary, 2016. "Do Commercialization and Mechanization of a “Women’s Crop” Disempower Women Farmers? Evidence from Zambia and Malawi," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 235885, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    3. Ashimwe, Olive, 2016. "An Economic Analysis Of Impact Of Weather Index-Based Crop Insurance On Household Income In Huye District Of Rwanda," Research Theses 265675, Collaborative Masters Program in Agricultural and Applied Economics.
    4. D. Mark Anderson, 2013. "The Impact Of Hiv Education On Behavior Among Youths: A Propensity Score Matching Approach," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 31(3), pages 503-527, July.
    5. Liane Faltermeier & Awudu Abdulai, 2009. "The impact of water conservation and intensification technologies: empirical evidence for rice farmers in Ghana," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 40(3), pages 365-379, May.
    6. Bagnoli, Lisa, 2019. "Does health insurance improve health for all? Heterogeneous effects on children in Ghana," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 1-1.
    7. Ashimwe, Olive, 2016. "An Economic Analysis Of Impact Of Weather Index-Based Crop Insurance On Household Income In Huye District Of Rwanda," Research Theses 276460, Collaborative Masters Program in Agricultural and Applied Economics.
    8. David L. Ortega & Aniseh S. Bro & Daniel C. Clay & Maria Claudia Lopez & Espoir Tuyisenge & Ruth Ann Church & Alfred R. Bizoza, 2019. "Cooperative membership and coffee productivity in Rwanda’s specialty coffee sector," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 11(4), pages 967-979, August.
    9. Tommaso Nannicini, 2007. "Simulation-based sensitivity analysis for matching estimators," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 7(3), pages 334-350, September.
    10. Santosh Kumar & Ganesh Rauniyar, 2018. "The impact of rural electrification on income and education: Evidence from Bhutan," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(3), pages 1146-1165, August.
    11. Paudel, G. & Krishna, V. & McDonald, A., 2018. "Why some inferior technologies succeed? Examining the diffusion and impacts of rotavator tillage in Nepal Terai," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277149, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    12. Glyn Williams & Manoj Srivastava & Stuart Corbridge & René Véron, 2003. "Enhancing pro-poor governance in Eastern India: participation, politics and action research," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 3(2), pages 159-178, April.
    13. Katsushi S. Imai & MD. Shafiul Azam, 2011. "Does Microfinance Reduce Poverty in Bangladesh? New Evidence from Household Panel Data," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(5), pages 633-653, October.
    14. Simone Bertoli & Francesca Marchetta, 2014. "Migration, Remittances and Poverty in Ecuador," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(8), pages 1067-1089, August.
    15. Johar, Meliyanni, 2009. "The impact of the Indonesian health card program: A matching estimator approach," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 35-53, January.
    16. Mishra, Ashok K. & Kumar, Anjani & Joshi, Pramod K. & D'souza, Alwin, 2016. "Impact of contracts in high yielding varieties seed production on profits and yield: The case of Nepal," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 110-121.
    17. Giuseppe PORRO & Stefano Maria IACUS, 2004. "Average treatment effect estimation via random recursive partitioning," Departmental Working Papers 2004-28, Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods at Università degli Studi di Milano.
    18. Duvendack, Maren & Palmer-Jones, Richard, 2011. "The microfinance of reproduction and the reproduction of microfinance: understanding the connections between microfinance, empowerment, contraception and fertility in Bangladesh in the 1990s," MPRA Paper 32384, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Roberto ESPOSTI, 2014. "To match, not to match, how to match: Estimating the farm-level impact of the CAP-first pillar reform (or: How to Apply Treatment-Effect Econometrics when the Real World is;a Mess)," Working Papers 403, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche (I), Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali.
    20. Erhardt, Eva, 2017. "Microfinance beyond self-employment: Evidence for firms in Bulgaria," MPRA Paper 79294, University Library of Munich, Germany.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:jintdv:v:28:y:2016:i:6:p:919-937. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/5102/home .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.