Papers by Alessandra Galie
Frontiers in sustainable food systems, Nov 26, 2023
This methodological paper introduces four projects, all of which aimed to increase women's engage... more This methodological paper introduces four projects, all of which aimed to increase women's engagement in and benefit from the livestock vaccine value chains of small ruminants and poultry by improving women's empowerment and supporting women's access to animal health services. All four projects used a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods to understand the livestock vaccine system. Despite these shared aims, selected value chains, and research methods, the projects took different approaches to understanding the technical barriers for women's engagement and benefit, women's empowerment in the areas where they work, the policy landscape and implications, and gender norms of the societies where they work. The goal of this paper is to introduce the four projects, describe each project's distinct research approach, and compare across projects how various qualitative and quantitative research methods contributed to understanding four elements which we identified as necessary for a fully functioning, gender responsive vaccine system: technical aspects (acumen/flow/ effectiveness), women's empowerment, policy environment, and gender norms.
Kherbet El Dieb, north of Aleppo, is one of 24 Syrian villages involved in a participatory plant ... more Kherbet El Dieb, north of Aleppo, is one of 24 Syrian villages involved in a participatory plant breeding (PPB) initiative started by the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA). Yields there have increased since the farmers have begun using varieties developed through the PPB program. PPB is one of the most common types of benefi t sharing related to farmers' rights as the concept is outlined in the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Combining farmers' knowledge with that of professional breeders, this approach enables the farmers to benefi t from their contribution to the global genetic pool by adding value to their crops, improving their livelihoods and increasing their incomes. However, as the name indicates, the main principle of PPB is participation, and this is a signature characteristic of the barley breeding initiative in Syria. Fawaz Al-Abboud Al-Hassoun, a farmer in Kherbet El Dieb who took part in the project, is very happy with the participatory approach and the resulting varieties. The productivity of the new varieties is high because of their increased resistance to drought and cold and, thus, they have been adopted by many of the farmers in the village. This case study describes how PPB evolved in Syria and how benefi ts have been generated through local action research in which farmers and breeders are engaged in a collaborative learning process. The PPB work in Syria also served as a learning ground for PPB in other countries in the region (e
Gender, Technology and Development, Jun 27, 2022
Livestock and Fish value chain assessment toolkit 2. Methodology This chapter presents general pr... more Livestock and Fish value chain assessment toolkit 2. Methodology This chapter presents general principles to consider when using the tools described in this toolkit and specificities as they apply to value chain research. It is not a substitute for a research methods textbook regarding the choice of qualitative versus quantitative tools nor a statistics textbook on sampling and sample size calculations. This chapter provides a broad overview of research methodology and links to references which may be useful. 1. The term "environments" here may relate to policy, agroclimatic, production system, market access or other conditions and relate to both our project goals and objectives.
Sustainability, Mar 20, 2021
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Animals, Mar 12, 2022
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Frontiers in Animal Science
Inadequate and poor-quality feed resources are a key constraining factor in livestock production ... more Inadequate and poor-quality feed resources are a key constraining factor in livestock production that compromises the livelihoods of many women and men dependent on livestock, who can be found in most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Several forage varieties have been developed, which are targeted to smallholder farmers in developing countries, yet the level of adoption remains low, particularly among women farmers. Adoption of varieties could enhance livelihoods by increasing livestock productivity and also by providing an income from the sale of surplus forage. However, evidence on gendered barriers to and incentives for the adoption of forage varieties is scarce. This study explores the gender dynamics influencing the uptake and commercialization of a forage variety, Brachiaria (syn. Urochloa), among women and men farmers in four subcounties in Kenya. Through a mixed-methods approach, 260 individuals (59 women and 201 men) belonging to a household where at least one indi...
Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
Mulukanoor Women’s Dairy Cooperative (Mulukanoor Dairy) in India has been run by women for women ... more Mulukanoor Women’s Dairy Cooperative (Mulukanoor Dairy) in India has been run by women for women since 2002. From the beginning it created strategies to empower women members, including mixing milk provided by the marginalized caste with milk from other castes; paying women exclusively for milk; providing technical training to women; and seating women together in training and governance events. Caste norms are not observed in these interactions. This article examines the effectiveness of Mulukanoor Dairy’s strategies for overcoming gender and caste disadvantage through empirical research. We hypothesized that if women members of Mulukanoor Dairy had become empowered over the past 20 years we should be able to see evidence for this in the form of women’s empowerment in relation to dairy decision-making at intra-household level. And if caste divisions had been largely overcome we should observe collegial relationships among women of different castes, and similar levels of women’s empo...
PLOS ONE
Although social support from fathers is associated with improved child feeding practices, evidenc... more Although social support from fathers is associated with improved child feeding practices, evidence on feasible, acceptable, and effective ways to involve fathers in supporting child nutrition, including animal source food (ASF) consumption, is limited. This study was a follow-on to a trial that tested the effects of social and behavior change communication (SBCC) targeted mainly at mothers to promote ASF consumption by children in households that received an exotic or crossbred cow through the government of Rwanda’s Girinka “One Cow Per Poor Family” program (NCT0345567). A delayed SBCC intervention was provided to mothers in the non-intervention arms prior to the present pre/post study, which targeted fathers in households across the trial study arms. Baseline and endline surveys with a cohort of 149 fathers with a child <5 years were used to evaluate the effects of a SBCC intervention for fathers on their children’s ASF consumption and on fathers’ knowledge, awareness, and suppo...
Sustainability
Livestock have strong empowerment potential, particularly for women. They offer millions of women... more Livestock have strong empowerment potential, particularly for women. They offer millions of women in the Global South the opportunity to provide protein-rich foods for home consumption and sale. Livestock provide women with income and opportunities to expand their livelihood portfolios and can strengthen women’s decision-making power. Fully realizing livestock’s empowerment potential for women is necessary for sustainable livestock development. It requires, though, that gender-equitable dynamics and norms are supported in rural communities. We draw on 73 village cases from 13 countries to explore women’s experiences with livestock-based livelihoods and technological innovations. Our analysis follows a gender empowerment framework comprised of four interdependent domains—recognition of women as livestock keepers, access to resources, access to opportunities, and decision making as a cross-cutting domain—which must come together if women are to become empowered through livestock. We f...
Our paper seeks to identify factors that inhibit and promote women’s success in seed businesses, ... more Our paper seeks to identify factors that inhibit and promote women’s success in seed businesses, through three case studies of women’s and men’s entrepreneurship across varying seed-related value chains and country contexts in Africa south of the Sahara. The cases include chicken seed dissemination in Ethiopia and Tanzania, tilapia seed production in Ghana, and marketing and trading of improved maize and sorghum seeds in Kenya. Applying a gender lens, we use qualitative methods to analyze women’s and men’s motivations to engage in seed businesses, the challenges they confront to start and succeed, and prospects for sustainability and continued success. We also use quantitative data to characterize the levels of empowerment of the entrepreneurs sampled. Results show that time flexibility and profitability of the business can be important considerations for women’s engagement in seed entrepreneurship, and the social normative context of the sector is also critical. Furthermore, outsid...
Animals, 2022
Healthy livestock provide meaningful opportunities to enhance women’s empowerment (WE) in low- an... more Healthy livestock provide meaningful opportunities to enhance women’s empowerment (WE) in low- and middle-income countries. Animal vaccines are important to keep livestock healthy and productive. However, gender-based restrictions limit women’s access to animal health services, thereby affecting the potential of livestock to enhance their empowerment. While growing empirical evidence reveals that women-controlled livestock (e.g., small ruminants) have important implications for WE and support better household nutrition outcomes, little empirical evidence exists from rigorous analyses of the relationship between WE and animal vaccines for women-controlled livestock species. Our analysis explores the relationship between WE and involvement with PPR vaccination in Ghana. Data collected using the Women’s Empowerment in Livestock Index (WELI) tool from 465 women and 92 men farmers (who keep goats) from northern Ghana, and analyzed using PLS-SEM, revealed a significant direct positive ass...
Using a broad systematic literature review of peer reviewed publications and grey literature, the... more Using a broad systematic literature review of peer reviewed publications and grey literature, the paper summarizes the most relevant gender issues in the pig value chain of Vietnam, and the ways in which these could be addressed. Specifically, women were found to face more severe constraints than men in accessing productive resources, markets and services. They have limited access to land use rights and therefore have limited access to resources for pig production. Besides, time constraints and cultural norms hinder women from actively participating in trainings and extension activities. Several projects/programs have been undertaken to help reduce the gender gaps. Lessons learnt from successful projects indicate that approaching women farmers via the Women's Union is an effective way to increase the active participation of women in trainings. Identifying and providing technical trainings that meet specific needs of women farmers could lead to productivity increase. Besides, it ...
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), a CGIAR Research Center established in ... more The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), a CGIAR Research Center established in 1975, provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition. IFPRI's strategic research aims to foster a climate-resilient and sustainable food supply; promote healthy diets and nutrition for all; build inclusive and efficient markets, trade systems, and food industries; transform agricultural and rural economies; and strengthen institutions and governance. Gender is integrated in all the Institute's work. Partnerships, communications, capacity strengthening, and data and knowledge management are essential components to translate IFPRI's research from action to impact. The Institute's regional and country programs play a critical role in responding to demand for food policy research and in delivering holistic support for country-led development. IFPRI collaborates with partners around the world.
The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) works to improve food security and reduce p... more The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) works to improve food security and reduce poverty in developing countries through research for better and more sustainable use of livestock. ILRI is a member of the CGIAR Consortium, a global research partnership of 15 centres working with many partners for a food-secure future. ILRI has two main campuses in East Africa and other hubs in East, West and Southern Africa and South, Southeast and East Asia. ilri.org
Sustainability, 2021
Milk, provided it is safe, provides important micronutrients that can combat hidden hunger (under... more Milk, provided it is safe, provides important micronutrients that can combat hidden hunger (undernutrition). Many peri-urban poor people in Tanzania and Kenya use informal markets to purchase milk in order to provide nutritional benefits to their families. Household decision-making processes play an influential role in how much milk to buy and how it is treated. This exploratory qualitative study, conducted in peri-urban Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, examined how access to milk, control over milk handling and safety, and intra-household milk distribution are affected by gender dynamics and by changes in milk availability and price. Focus group discussions with 48 women and 45 men and key informant interviews with 8 men and 8 women, all of whom were parents or caretakers to young children, were conducted. The results indicate that gender roles in milk purchase and handling vary. Generally, providing enough milk is a man’s responsibility, whilst a woman is expected to ensure a nutritious...
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Papers by Alessandra Galie