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When Agronomy Flirts with Markets, Gender, and Nutrition: A Political Ecology of the New Green Revolution for Africa and Women’s Food Security in Burkina Faso

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 April 2022

William G. Moseley Open the ORCID record for William G. Moseley [Opens in a new window]  and
Melanie Ouedraogo
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Abstract

Advocates of the Green Revolution for Africa (GR4A) argue that the best way to address malnutrition is to incorporate smallholders into the global food economy via value chains involving the use of improved inputs, production technologies, and access to markets. Moseley and Ouedraogo critically assess these tactics using a feminist political ecology lens to analyze GR4A efforts in southwestern Burkina Faso which target female rice farmers. They examine the nature of the GR4A rice value chain, the degree to which a GR4A project is impacting the nutrition of participating women, and the influence of gender roles on GR4A rice project outcomes.

Résumé

Résumé

Les partisans de la Nouvelle révolution verte pour l’Afrique (AGRA /GR4A) soutiennent que la meilleure façon de lutter contre la malnutrition est d’intégrer les petits exploitants à l’économie alimentaire mondiale par le biais de chaînes de valeur impliquant l’utilisation d’intrants améliorés, de technologies de production et d’accès aux marchés. Moseley et Ouedraogo évaluent ces tactiques de manière critique en utilisant une optique d’écologie politique féministe pour analyser les efforts de l’AGRA dans le sud-ouest du Burkina Faso, qui ciblent les rizicultrices. Ils examinent la nature de la chaîne de valeur du riz AGRA, le degré d’impact d’un projet AGRA sur la nutrition des femmes participantes et l’influence des rôles sexospécifiques sur les aboutissements du projet AGRA.

Resumo

Resumo

Os representantes da Revolução Verde para a África (Green Revolution for Africa – GR4A) argumentam que a melhor maneira de superar os problemas de malnutrição é integrar os pequenos proprietários na economia alimentar global, através de cadeias de valor que envolvam a utilização de melhores matérias-primas, melhores tecnologias de produção e melhor acesso aos mercados. Moseley e Ouedraogo avaliam criticamente estas estratégias a partir de um ponto de vista político-ecológico feminista, com o objetivo de analisar os esforços do GR4A no sudoeste do Burkina Faso que se dirigem às agricultoras do arroz. Os autores analisam a natureza da cadeia de valor do arroz do GR4A, o grau em que os projetos do GR4A têm impacto na nutrição das mulheres que neles participam e a influência dos papéis de género nos resultados dos projetos de arroz do GR4A.

Keywords

food securitygenderNew Green Revolutionpolitical ecologyvalue chain
Type
Forum: Lost in Translation: Pro-Poor Development in the Green Revolution for Africa
Information
African Studies Review , Volume 65 , Issue 1 , March 2022 , pp. 41 - 65
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the African Studies Association

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