Gender, Weather Shocks and Welfare: Evidence from Malawi

Asfaw, Solomon; Maggio, Giuseppe

doi:10.1080/00220388.2017.1283016

Cited by 77 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 35 publications

(46 reference statements)

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“…Yet, land is already scarce. According to Asfaw and Maggio (2018) over 70% of the smallholder farmers have less than one ha to farm. Our quantitative data shows that households on average cultivated 0.77 ha in 2017, although there is a wide range between the villages, from 0.36 to 1.04 ha.…”

Section: Access To Landmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When a woman marries and leaves her parents' home, she may lose access to land as she is expected to use the land at her husband's home. For more details on inheritance traditions in matrilineal or patrilineal societies in Malawi, see Asfaw and Maggio (2018) and Takane (2008). The quantitative and qualitative data on youth and access to land are coherent: youth face challenges in accessing land for cultivation and consequently, their opportunity space in terms of land is severely limited.…”

Section: Access To Landmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Generational dynamics of agricultural intensification in Malawi: challenges for the youth and elderly smallholder farmers

Lindsjö

Mulwafu

Djurfeldt

et al. 2020

International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability

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In the next 24 years, the Malawian population is expected to double, a development that will inevitably affect access to land and land holding sizes. As access to land is already limited, securing food for the growing population will require policy shifts including the promotion of agricultural intensification. Malawi's economy depends on the agricultural sector, and this paper addresses the generational perspective of agricultural intensification, with specific focus on youth and elderly in smallholder production systems. Despite wide recognition that an overwhelmingly large share of the Malawian population is young, our research finds that the younger generation have less access to land than the older generations. The elderly are limited in farming due to the physical labour required for agriculture, yet they withhold their pieces of land. Our research shows that maize yields have remained low between 2008 and 2017, and that the elderly have had the lowest yields. The potential for sustainable agricultural intensification therefore remains low until access to land and financial support for the youth receive special attention in all relevant circles including policy discourses. The paper situates the findings from this study within the broader scholarship on generational changes and perceptions in relation to access to resources for production.

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Section: Access To Landmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Access To Landmentioning

confidence: 99%

Generational dynamics of agricultural intensification in Malawi: challenges for the youth and elderly smallholder farmers

Lindsjö

Mulwafu

Djurfeldt

et al. 2020

International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The importance of social norms and the extent to which men and women pool resources within the household in mediating the impacts of shocks is highlighted strongly in two studies on Malawi. Asfaw and Maggio () examine how social norms regarding land inheritance tenure interact with joint or sole management of land in mediating the impact of weather shocks on household welfare outcomes. They find that temperature shocks adversely affect household consumption, food consumption, and caloric intake, but rainfall shocks do not have consistent impacts.…”

Section: Key Findings From Observational Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding rural household behavior: Beyond Boserup and Becker

Doss

Quisumbing

2019

Agricultural Economics

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New data and new methods have provided many new insights into rural households in the past 50 years. We analyze what we have learned from household models since Boserup and Becker, using this to frame more recent findings about household behavior from three types of studies: observational studies, experimental games, and impact evaluations. More sex‐disaggregated data, as well as data that are collected at smaller units, such as agricultural plots, have allowed us to better understand agricultural productivity, risk sharing, and spousal cooperation. However, the focus on bargaining within households has often led us to ignore the cooperation that occurs within households. Many resources are owned and managed jointly by household members and many decisions are made jointly, although not all parties necessarily have equal voice in these decisions. Research demonstrating that households often do not reach efficient outcomes suggests that we still have much to learn about rural household behavior. Understanding both individual roles within households and the levels of cooperation, including joint decision making and ownership of resources, is essential to analysis of households, especially in rural areas where households engage in both production and consumption.

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“…The role of women in Malawian fisheries is not as properly documented as their roles in agriculture [13]. Within the fish value chain in Malawi, women dominate low value (sundried) fish products for smaller species, while men dominate high value products like smoked large fish species [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A gendered perspective on the fish value chain, livelihood patterns and coping strategies under climate change - insights from Malawi’s small-scale fisheries

Limuwa¹,

Synnevåg²

2018

AJFAND

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In Malawi, fish is a form of livelihood to many poor people, despite fluctuations in catches. Female participation in natural resource activities, including fisheries improve livelihoods. However, female participation in Malawi fisheries has historically been low compared to their role in agriculture. In this article, gender roles in the fish value chain, livelihood patterns and gendered coping strategies in Malawi's small-scale fisheries under the effects of climate change were analysed. The analysis is based on interviews conducted on the western shores of Lake Malawi in two phases between January 2016 to June 2016 and June 2017 to July 2017. Qualitative and quantitative research methods were used to collect and analyse data from randomly sampled male and female household heads who own fishing gears and vessels. The study showed no significant differences between men and women in their perceptions of climate change in the last 30 years. The respondents' perceptions on ecosystem changes were significantly different for a number of trees and vegetation cover. However, there are significant differences on how male and female respondents perceived changes in fish catches and species composition. The statistically significant results showing differences between fish value chain activities and gender are attributed to the well-defined division of roles and responsibilities within Malawi fisheries. Respondents acknowledged the increased participation of women in grading, processing and selling fish in urban markets compared to the past. However, increased participation of women in fisheries was not due to perceived changes in climate but due to ownership of fishing gear and economic empowerment through development projects. Furthermore, this participation did not result in women having power to control or decide how to use fisheries related income. The study also shows women have a higher proportion of fisheries related monthly income than men. The main income sources are gendered and have changed in the last twenty years from heavily relying on agriculture to fisheries related sources. These changes could be attributed to climate related changes among other drivers. The study further observed significant differences in coping strategies between men and women attributed to households' social construction. Men ventured into fisheries and agriculture related initiatives while women were more into business initiatives. The findings suggest gender considerations regarding access to natural resources have implications on sustainable livelihoods. It is suggested that changes that transform gender relations should be put in place to improve women's ability to bargain.

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Gender, Weather Shocks and Welfare: Evidence from Malawi

Cited by 77 publications

References 35 publications

Generational dynamics of agricultural intensification in Malawi: challenges for the youth and elderly smallholder farmers

Generational dynamics of agricultural intensification in Malawi: challenges for the youth and elderly smallholder farmers

Understanding rural household behavior: Beyond Boserup and Becker

A gendered perspective on the fish value chain, livelihood patterns and coping strategies under climate change - insights from Malawi’s small-scale fisheries

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