Associations between Maternal Participation in Agricultural Decision-Making and Child Nutrition in Semiarid Kenya

A review of gender in agricultural and pastoral livelihoods based on selected countries in west and east Africa

This scoping paper presents the results of a review of the landscape of research on gender and agricultural and pastoral livelihoods in select countries in west and east Africa (Burkina Faso, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, and Uganda) published over 5 years (January 2016–March 2021). A keyword search of the Scopus database gave rise to an ultimate dataset of 169 papers which were coded for geographical location, approaches to gender, and theme based on inductive identification of clusters of research. There has been an increase in the number of published papers but there is an uneven geographical distribution of research. Studies vary in the way they treat gender: with an almost even split between modeling-based studies, where gender is one of many variables to be correlated with, or to determine, an outcome (e.g., poverty—for example, as a dummy variable in regressions); and studies where the expressed aim is to look at gender differences, whether through the gender of an individual or the gender of a household head. Clusters of papers look at gender differences in assets, health, perceptions of environmental degradation, agricultural perceptions and outcomes, and climate change perceptions, vulnerability, and adaptation. There is also a number of papers exploring women's empowerment, including intra-household decision making. Intersectional approaches have been employed both through modeling studies and through more in-depth qualitative studies that are able to trace changes in identity over time, and the implications therein. The household and household headship have remained common entry points and units of analysis, despite known critiques. The results highlight a need to address geographical gaps in gender research, expand the evidence base of intersectional approaches, explore other aspects of social inequality, and expand more innovative methodological studies.

Understanding the Enablers and Barriers to Appropriate Infants and Young Child Feeding Practices in India: A Systematic Review

Despite efforts to promote infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices, there is no collective review of evidence on IYCF enablers and barriers in India. This review was conducted using 2015 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Six computerized bibliographic databases, Scopus, PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Embase, and Ovid MEDLINE, were searched for published studies on factors associated with IYCF practices in India from 1 January 1993, to 30 April 2020. IYCF practices examined were early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding, continued breastfeeding at one year, introduction to solid semi-solid or soft foods, minimum dietary diversity, minimum meal frequency, minimum acceptable diet, continued breastfeeding at two years, predominant breastfeeding, and bottle feeding. In total, 6968 articles were retrieved, and 46 studies met the inclusion criteria. The common enablers of IYCF were higher maternal socioeconomic status (SES) and more frequent antenatal care visits (ANC) (≥3). Common barriers to IYCF practices were low SES and less frequent ANC. The review showed that the factors associated with IYCF practices in India are largely modifiable and multi-factorial. Improving IYCF practices would require the adoption of both facilities- and community-based policy interventions at the subnational and national levels in India.

Platform, Participation, and Power: How Dominant and Minority Stakeholders Shape Agricultural Innovation

Within agricultural innovation systems (AIS), various stakeholder groups inevitably interpret ‘innovation’ from their own vantage point of privilege and power. In rural developing areas where small-scale and subsistence farming systems support livelihoods, dominant policy actors often focus heavily on participatory modernization and commercialization initiatives to enhance productivity, access, and quality. However, existing social hierarchies may undermine the potential of such initiatives to promote inclusive and sustainable farmer-driven innovation. Focusing on the chronically food insecure smallholder agricultural systems operating in Yatta Sub-county, Eastern Kenya, this paper explores how power dynamics between stakeholders can influence, and can be influenced by, participatory agricultural innovation initiatives. Findings suggest that there are often significant disparities in access to, and control over, platform resources between smallholder farmers and other stakeholder groups, resulting in large asymmetries. We discuss how these power dynamics may increase the risk of agricultural intervention, further marginalizing already disempowered groups and reinforcing power hierarchies to the detriment of smallholders. This study highlights the need for a deeper understanding of the institutional contexts that facilitate and maintain relationships of power within agricultural innovation systems, as well as the complexities associated with promoting transformational agricultural innovation.