Safe Food, Fair Food: Summary of findings on gender-related issues within sheep and

goat value chains in Ethiopia

Tamsin Dewé, Barbara Rischkowsky, Kristina Rösel, Delia Grace

Livestock and Fish Gender Working Group Workshop and Planning Meeting

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 14-18 October 2013

Safe Food, Fair Food

Protecting the health of poor consumers

and Safeguarding livelihoods of poor livestock

keepers and other value chain actors

Background

Looking at risks to food safety and nutrition within sheep and goat value chains

Trying to identify opportunities for further research and intervention

Ultimate goal is to ensure adequate intake of safe and nutritious foods, while protecting the livelihoods of poor value chain actors

Study sites in Ethiopia# VCs District Sites/villages/

communitiesRegion

Highlands1 Sheep 1 Atsbi 1.    Habes

2.    Golgol na’ele

Tigray

2 Sheep 2 Doyogena 1. Serea

2. Bkafa

SNNP

3 Sheep 3 Menz 1. Molale

2. Mehal Meda

Amhara

4 Sheep 4 Horro/Shambu 1. Gitlo

2. Lakku Iggu

Oromia

5 Goat 1 Abergelle 1.    Sazba (Amhara)

2.    Felegehiwot (Tigray)

Amhara/Tigray

Lowlands6 Goat 2 Yabello (Borana) 1.    Eleweya

2.    Darito

Oromia

7 Goat/Sheep Shinelle 1.    Gad

2.    Degah Jebis

Somalia

Activities

Rapid assessment conducted at each site– Participatory rural appraisals

(PRAs) with producer and consumer groups

– Focus group discussions (FGDs) with mothers of young children

Topics included animal health, consumption patterns, food preparation, and perceptions of quality and safety of sheep and goat meat and milk

Results

Food preparation exclusively by women• Cooking indoors over fire exposes women

and girls to potentially toxic fumes

Results

Men are given better meat cuts to give them strength for work

Preferential feeding of red meat and liver to pregnant women – To prevent anemia and nutritional deficiency

Consumption of raw meat and milk also reported for pregnant women– Risk to mother and fetus

Results

Cultural taboo against women drinking whole milk in Abergelle– Makes women crazy, difficult to

handle– Early onset of puberty in girls

Women consume butter and use it as cosmetics

ResultsSite WomenAbergelle Amhara

Men preferentially given high-quality cuts Women do not consume whole milkWomen more likely to consume butter (which is also used externally for hair and skin)

Abergelle Tigray

Men preferentially given high-quality cuts Women do not consume whole milkWomen more likely to consume butter (which is also used externally for hair and skin)Pregnant women prefer liver and kidney

Atsbi Collection of small pieces from each part of the animal given to women for healthWomen use butter for cosmetics

Borena Pregnant women prefer red meat and liverDoyogena Pregnant women prefer liver or duletHorro Either no difference between the genders, or women prefer red meat, liver

and intestines

Menz Women prefer to avoid fatShinelle Women use butter as cosmetics

Pregnant women prefer sheep and goat milk

Summary of gender-related consumption practices

Results

Responsibility

Task Men Women Boys GirlsHired labor

Flock herding 32.1 12.3 45.8 8.3 1.4Cut-and-carry grasses/browses 29.5 33.8 25.9 9.5 1.3Watering flock 40.3 12.4 45.6 1.3 0.4Clean flock barn – 66 2.9 31.1 –Cares for young flock 20.6 44.9 26.6 7.9 –Fattening management 43.1 34.8 17.2 4.5 0.4Treat sick flock 85 1.8 13.2 – –Milk goats – 80.4 – 19.6 –Process goat milk – 67.1 – 32.9 –Sale sheep and goats at markets 82.2 5.2 12.6 – –Decide on use of proceeds 73.7 20.2 6.1 – –Owner of the flocks 68.2 29 2.8 – –

Solomon Gizaw, Azage Tegegne, Berhanu Gebremedhin and Dirk Hoekstra. Improving sheep and goat production and marketing systems in Ethiopia: Characteristics and strategies for improvement. IPMS working paper No 23.

Division of labor in sheep and goat management, Alaba (SNNP)

Conclusions

Gender roles may have large influence on health and nutrition risks– Further research needed

Low level of consumption of ASF due to economic constraints and religious practices

Major risk in this value chain is nutritional deficiency– Protein, iron, zinc, vitamins A and B12

Safe Food, Fair Food

Tamsin Dewé, Consultant tamsindewe@gmail.com

Kristina Rösel, Project Co-Ordinatork.rosel@cgiar.org

All photo credits to ILRI/ Tamsin Dewé unless otherwise indicated