Challenging Chains to Change Book launch Agri-hub Kenya Network day October 25, 2012

Writeshop November 2010 Organised by APF, KIT and IIRR in Nairobi Over 40 participants

Over 40 participants, dozens of cases

5 Strategies to address gender in value chains 1.Working with women on typical “women’s products” such as shea, poultry and dairy, 2.Opening up opportunities for women to work on what are traditionally “men’s commodities” or in men’s domains, 3.Supporting women and men in organizing for change by building capacity, organization, sensitization and access to finance, 4.Using standards and certification to promote gender equity, and 5.Promoting gender-responsible business.

Bringing women into the coffee chain in Kenya By Peter Chege Nginya (SMS) The starting point : More the 500,000 smallholders in Kenya produce coffee 6 million people earn a living directly or indirectly from coffee But over the past 10 years the quality and quantity of coffee has been declining Could the problem be that the coffee is a male crop? Men do a lot of work, but women do even more

A focus on production and quality In 2007,SMS partnered with HIVOS to improve Kenyan coffee through training of small holders Focus was on 4 co-ops (11 wet mills) with 11,000 farmers Training was aimed at, Increasing premium grades from25% to75% Increase the yield from 1kg to 5 kg per tree Improve management of co-operatives in planning and reporting

TARGET GROUP IN TRAININGS Farmers elected 250 promoter farmers who were trained on GAPS and then train their 50 farmers at their zones Eleven internal auditors were also elected by farmers and were trained on auditing techniques, computer literacy and record keeping (they check compliance with standards and plans) Quality team were trained on quality management and global coffee market Managers were trained on coffee processing.

Women grow coffee too –Challenges faced by women became clear during review meetings –Women don’t attend trainings, No women representation in board and get little income despite of doing most of tedious job in coffee –Project partners hired a consultant to do a value chain analysis from gender point of view –Study recommended; –Raising awareness on gender issues In whole chain –Registering female farmers in their own names –Implementing gender sensitive policies –Introducing more gender specific indicators in certification

The change Introduction of gender promoter farmers in SMS training model The trainer and gender promoter farmers have identified women groups as change agents Women seeking elective post in management with 10 women being successfully elected. Registration of women coffee farmers and owning joint accounts with their spouses Women included as decision makers in the value chain Affirmative action to have 30% of promoters as women Perception changing of coffee as a men’s crop Increased knowledge and skills of women

Challenge: Gender sensitive VCD practice Available in the gender in value chains network: The ChaChaCha book Resources & website links A toolkit to make all phases of your value chain development programme gender sensitive (online and as a book) Experiences from other professionals The challenge: How to translate these resources into a gender sensitive value chain practice! APF Support programme involving training as well as coaching to practitioner More information at the market place this afternoon!!

For more information Visit the gender in value chains ning Thanks!