gendered effects of nerica upland rice

johanna bergman lodindept of human geography lund university sweden

johanna.bergman-lodin@keg.lu.se

the case of labor dynamics in hoima district, uganda

africa rice congress, march 24, 2010

acknowledgement

associate prof. Magnus JirströmDept of Human Geography

Lund University, Sweden

ms. Milly Mugenyi

Council for Economic Empowerment for Women of Africa (CEEWA-U), Kampala, Uganda

presentation outline

gender rationaleour case study

discussion of results, w. particular focus on gendered labor effects

synthesispolicy implications

nerica and poverty assessments income poverty

the ”success” of NERICA has mainly been established

econometrically by measuring production growth or

household income gain this can capture shifts in

income poverty on household level

does not capture the (gendered) distribution of

costs and benefits within the household

other deprivations prevalence or absence on

individual level of empowering elements such

as good health, influence on decision making/ bargaining

power, access to information, education and

time physical strains and

drudgery gender sensitive

not well researched in relation to NERICA

nerica in uganda

rice is becoming an important food!NERICA introduced in 2002

high-level support, e.g. Vice-President Initiative; donors highly committed

40,000ha established by 2008described as a ”NERICA Revolution”

rapid adoption ratesdecreasing households’ financial

poverty

our study

2008-2009, main focus: Hoima Districtmixed methods research:

pre-survey survey of 302 NERICA growers

diary study to record precise family labor input, 13 households participating,

coverage: 2008 more than 50 focus group interviews

key informant interviews additional key informant and informal

interviews in Kampala as well as in Luwero and Wakiso districts

nerica is an important crop

+1/3 of total cultivated acreage +75% sold off

realizing +50% of farm income (farm income share of total income: 85%)

this is the major benefit: MORE MONEY!BUT: the sharing of benefits is gendered!

and so is the sharing of costs!

labor intensity of nerica

the labor intensive nature of NERICA was the most frequently raised and returned-to topic

during interviews and discussions

the farmers claim that the labor intensity of NERICA is their core production concern and

constraint

most time consuming task in nerica production; 1st

rank (%)sex of

respondent all N=299male

N=197female N=102

crop protection (birds)

58.4 (3,5)

67.6 (4,7) 61.5 (2,8)

weeding 28.4 (3,2)

16.7 (3,7) 24.4 (2,5)

land preparation 11.7 (2,3)

8.8 (2,8) 10.7 (1,8)

other tasks 1.5 (0,9) 6.9 (2,5) 3.3 (1,0)total 100,0 100,0 99,9

Data refer to the second season 2008. Numbers in parentheses indicate standard error means.

the gendered division of labor in hoima

women

men

land preparation + +++planting ++/++

++/++

weeding +++ +crop protection, incl. bird scaring

+++ +

harvesting ++/+++

+/++

threshing + +++

Sources: Interviews with farmers and key informants (extension workers, NGOs, local government staff etc.).

scores: 1 – 10 time increasing with score

  time consuming

women Ruhunga

men Kigabu

rice 10 4

cassava 8 10

bananas 10 10

groundnuts 7 3

coffee -- 10

maize 7 3

beans 5 2

millet 7 --

sweet potatoes

5 --

tobacco -- --

cabbage 6 --

greens 3 --

tomato 4 --

onions 2 --

women’s and men’s scores for the most

important crops they grow with regard to

time consumpti

on

scores: 1 – 10 exhaustion increasing with score

  labor exhausting

women Ruhunga

men Kigabu

men Ruhunga

rice 10 7 8

cassava 9 7 2

bananas 3 7 --

groundnuts 6 6 5

coffee -- 7 5

maize 6 7 2

beans 5 7 --

millet 8 -- --

sweet potatoes 7 -- --

tobacco -- -- 10

cabbage 2 -- --

greens 4 -- --

tomato 2 -- --

onions 1 -- --

women’s and

men’s scores for

the most important

crops they

grow with regard to

labor exhaustio

n

bird scaringre

sp

on

den

ts’

voic

es

diary study log of family labor hours in nerica

productionN=13 total

hours% of total

hourshours/ acre

land preparation 360 (69) 19,6 (4,2) 329 (79)planting 208 (38) 10,7 (1,3) 143 (21)weeding 265 (55) 11,2 (1,7) 210 (50)bird scaring 652

(102)36,9 (4,2) 540 (112)

harvesting 371 (64) 21,6 (3,3) 314 (64)total family labor

1783 (193)

100,01518 (211)Data refer to the second season 2008. The numbers in parentheses

indicate standard error means. Except for bird scaring, the data is coherent with the findings by Kijima et al. (2007). The farmers in Hoima use more family labor in bird scaring than what the Kijima

study indicated (difference significant on the 1 per cent level).

time consuming: in absolute terms: 12-13 hrs/day for +1

month relative other crops: not needed for those

labor exhausting / inducing drudgery: you have to run up and down the field,

shouting, waving, clapping hands, throwing stones, using rattles and drums

mainly affecting women and children!some men have started to get

engaged, but their participation is not yet undifferentiated

weedingre

sp

on

den

ts’

voic

es

diary study log of family labor hours in nerica

productionN=13 total

hours% of total

hourshours/ acre

land preparation 360 (69) 19,6 (4,2) 329 (79)planting 208 (38) 10,7 (1,3) 143 (21)weeding 265 (55) 11,2 (1,7) 210 (50)bird scaring 652 (102) 36,9 (4,2) 540 (112)harvesting 371 (64) 21,6 (3,3) 314 (64)total family labor

1783 (193)

100,01518 (211)

Data refer to the second season 2008. The numbers in parentheses indicate standard error means. Except for bird scaring, the data is

coherent with the findings by Kijima et al. (2007)

weedingre

sp

on

den

ts’

voic

es

seasonal family labor demands for selected crops

in ugandatotal family labor input

family labor input:

weedingsource of information

hours/ acre

hours/ ha

hours/ acre

hours/ ha

tobacco n.a. n.a. 251 620 our survey datanerica 1518 3749 210 519 our diary study databananas 158 391 59 144 Bagamba et al. 1998beans 404 998 111 274 Kijima et al. 2007maize 291 720 85 209 Kijima et al. 2007coffee 191 460 75 185 Bagamba et al. 1998g-nuts 116-

160287-395

64 158 Obuo et al. 2003

time consuming: relative other crops; (two or) three

weedings instead of one labor exhausting / inducing drudgery:

backbreaking work endure it thrice instead of once

hand and hoe weedings combined while usually only hoe weeding in other crops

mainly affecting women and children! some men have started to get

engaged, but their participation is not yet undifferentiated

a few more gendered labor aspects

plot divisions women usually provide the bulk labor

irrespective of plot set-up mainly male control over output from joint

plots, women more in control over own plots

labor hire +70% hire some labor for NERICA

but: mainly replaces men’s work and channeled into male fields

mechanization of land preparation

low: 9.6% use tractors, 3% use oxen BUT where in place:

mainly replaces and saves men’s labor no similar services available that can

save women’s labor with regard to weed and bird control

synthesis households as units gain in economic terms

(decreasing their income povety) the extreme labor burden NERICA induces

on women (and children) exacerbates their deprivations, particularly in terms of time poverty and drudgery, but potentially it may also reduce or prevent the formation of their social and human capitals!

control of output and sharing of proceeds not always fair between household members: the money does not always reach the wives’ pockets

if the described “NERICA Revolution” is going to be maintained, or even furthered, it is crucial that farmers embrace the crop

in a sustained manner!adoption is not an irreversible state: in

some districts dropouts have been systematic, incl. Wakiso and Luwero

the reason: women were not able to cope with the new and gruelling labor why

the rice, consequently, failedwhile Hoima is still not much affected by

dropouts, this can change!

Sample size 2004: N=250, Sample size 2007 unknown due to unspecified attrition.

district dropouts (%)

Kamwenge 3.3

Hoima 4.2

Kibale 4.2

Masindi 8.3

Luwero 26.7

Kiboga 33.3

Mpigi 44.8

Wakiso 55.2

Mubende 63.3

proportion of nerica adopters in uganda 2004 who by 2007 were

not growing nerica (kijima 2008, p. 23)

the suboptimal distribution of labor, productive inputs, proceeds and benefits

between men and women may jeopardize future interventions and the chances to achieve sustainable results in regard to

NERICA! interventions should therefore aim at both

improving rice adoption/ production/ productivity in general and increasing the

productive capacity of farming activities in which women are engaged, i.e. to

increase women’s management ability this calls for the current labor

bottlenecks associated with weeding and bird scaring to be addressed!

policy implications

in relation to technology dissemination efforts in general, in Uganda and beyond, this demands policy revisions and that research organizations, donors and service

providers formulate procedures for how to explore these various gender

dimensions adequately before the introduction of a new technology so

as to avoid suboptimal outcomes!!

merci!

thank you!