Commodity value chains development to boost intra-Africa trade.
The roles of agricultural extension and advisory services in gender equality and improved nutrition cannot be over-emphasised. The caution however is that, for better targeting, women empowerment should be the focus rather than gender equality. This has been found to be a prudent approach in sub-Saharan Africa.
The capacity building opportunity associated with extension activities as functional bridge between researchers and primary producers if properly harnessed can promote women empowerment. Evidences of successes abound where extension activities in post-harvest processing, through development of novel recipes from locally available crops have promoted healthy household nutrition.
Effective capacity building models of women producers can raise productivity and increase income. Production of high value horticultural crops presents a potent means to improve women producers'' livelihood resilience and nutritional wellbeing.
However, key success factors are the capacities of the change agent, relevance of advisory service as well as the ability of the proposed intervention (which must be a package) to build systemic capacities by integrating the socio-economic situations in the local economy.
Dr. Mure Agbonlahor
Dear Moderator,
Thanks for opening the discussion forum on child labor in agriculture.
My intervention is in the area of child labor involving children of migrant farm labors.
My experience in West Africa reveals that most international migrants farm labors move to destination with their children (mostly young boys). These Migrants take annual or production season duration contracts. The children of these migrants participate actively in executing the farm contracts and are also involved in personal labor hiring for both farm and off-farm activities in the rural areas.
Best
Mure