Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-18T22:41:33.257Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Gender aspects in family poultry management systems in developing countries

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2007

E.F. Guèye*
Affiliation:
Senegalese Institute of Agricultural Research (ISRA), B.P. 2057, Dakar RP, Senegal
*
Corresponding author: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Despite efforts to develop intensive poultry production, family poultry (FP) are still very important in developing countries. In most developing countries, the keeping of poultry by local communities has been practised formany generations. FP keeping is a widely practised activity. More than 90% of rural families in most developing countries keep one ormore poultry species (i.e. chickens, ducks, guinea fowls, geese, pigeons, etc.), and all ethnic groups tend to be involved in FP production. Although generally requiring low levels of inputs, FP is an appropriate system for supplying the fast-growing human population with high-quality protein, while providing additional income to the generally resource-poor small farmers, especially women. FP is also a source of employment for underprivileged groups and less-favoured areas in developing countries. However, constraints facing FP production systems are related to high mortality (mainly due to Newcastle disease), housing, feeding, breeding, marketing, credit, education/training, extension and information dissemination. Organizers of FP development programmes must be sufficiently sensitive to socio-cultural and economic circumstances of potential beneficiaries. Developing schemes that aim to promote and improve the FP sub-sectorin a way that is sustainable must not underestimate the specific roles and contributions of relevant members of local communities, as well as their different gender groups i.e. women, men, boys, girls, young and old persons. Therefore, getting new information and other various interventions to the front line of production requires well-designed gender research. This work, which must be done by multi- and trans-disciplinary teams to ensure that the production environment in which FP-keeping farmers work is fully understood, helps to identify the target groups of FP producers for development programmes such as in training, extension, information dissemination, provision of inputs and credit, marketing of poultry and their products. Ways to improve the productivity of FP management systems by taking into account socio-cultural, especially gender, aspects in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation stages of FP development programmes at community level are also explored.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2005

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alders, R.G. (1996) Facilitating women's participation in village poultry projects: experiences in Mozambique and Zambia. Proceedings 20th World's Poultry Congress, Vol. 3, New Delhi, India, pp. 441447.Google Scholar
ANONYMOUS (1996) Group Discussion: The role of women in poultry production. ANRPD Newsletter 6(1): 14.Google Scholar
Bessei, W. (1987) Tendencies of World Poultry Production. Paper presented at the 3rd International DLG-Symposium on Poultry Production in Hot Climates19–22 June 1987HamelnGermany.Google Scholar
Bhurtel, R. (1996) Women's participation in rural poultry development. Proceedings 20th World's Poultry Congress, Vol. 3, New Delhi, India, pp. 413417.Google Scholar
Bonfoh, B. (1997) Les dominantes pathologiques et les contraintes sur la productivité des poulets dans les systèmes avicoles extensifs en Gambie: propositions et solutions. Thèse de Doctorat de 3è Cycle, No. 26, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Sénégal.Google Scholar
Bradley, F.A. (1992) A historical review of women's contributions to poultry production and the implications for poultry development policy. Proceedings 19th World's Poultry Congress, Vol. 2, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, pp. 693696.Google Scholar
Branckaert, R.D.S. and Guèye, E.F. (2000) FAO's programme for support to family poultry production'. In: Proceedings of a Workshop on Poultry as a Tool in Poverty Eradication and Promotion of Gender Equality (Dolberg, F. and Petersen, P.H., Eds.), Tune, Denmark, pp. 244256, also at: http://www.husdyr.kvl.dk/htm/php/tune99/24-Branckaert.htm.Google Scholar
Fattah, K.A. (2000) Poultry as a tool in poverty eradication and promotion of gender equality. In: Proceedings of a Workshop on Poultry as a Tool in Poverty Eradication and Promotion of Gender Equality (Dolberg, F. and Petersen, P.H., Eds.), Tune, Denmark, pp. 1628.Google Scholar
Goodger, W.J., Bennett, T.B. and Dwinger, R.H. (2002): Comparative analysis of family poultry production in twelve African countries. In: Characteristics and parameters of family Poultry production in Africa, IAEA, Vienna, Austria, pp. 143157.Google Scholar
Guèye, E.F. (1998) Poultry plays an important role in African village life. World Poultry 14(10): 1417.Google Scholar
Guèye, E.F. (2000) The role of family poultry in poverty alleviation, food security and the promotion of gender equality in rural Africa. Outlook on Agriculture 29(2): 129136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guèye, E.F. (2002a) Family poultry research and development in low-income food-deficit countries: approaches and prospects. Outlook on Agriculture 31(1): 1321.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guèye, E.F. (2002b) Employment and income generation through family poultry in low-income food-deficit countries. World's Poultry Science Journal 58(4): 501517.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guèye, E.F. (2003): Gender issues in family poultry production systems in low-income food-deficit countries. American Journal of Alternative Agriculture 18(4): 185195.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guèye, E.F. and Bessei, W. (2003) Research, education and extension for sustainable family poultry production: whither collaboration with FAO? Paper presented at the FAO Poultry Meeting30–31 July 2003Rome, Italy.Google Scholar
Khan, A.G. (1998) Women as a resource target for rural poultry production in India. Proceedings 10th European Poultry Conference, Vol. 2, Jerusalem, Israel, pp. 604606.Google Scholar
Kitalyi, A.J. (1998) Village chicken production systems in rural Africa: household food security and gender issues. FAO Animal Production and Health Paper 142, Rome, Italy.Google Scholar
Paul, D.C. and Aktar, M.S. (1992) Women and duck production in a lowland of rural Bangladesh. Proceedings 9th International Symposium on WaterfowlPisa, Italy pp. 169171.Google Scholar
Paul, D.C., Huque, Q.M.E. and Rahman, T. (1997) Unconventional geese raising and women in farm economy in rural Bangladesh. Proceedings 11th European Symposium on Waterfowl, Nantes, pp. 523526.Google Scholar
Rangnekar, S.D. and Rangnekar, D.V. (1999): Developing traditional family poultry production in tribal belt of western India. First INFPD/FAO Electronic Conference on the Scope and Effect of Family Poultry Research and Development, http://www.fao.org/waicent/faoinfo/agricult/aga/agap/lpa/fampo1/freecom5.htmGoogle Scholar
Rushton, J. and Ngongi, S.N. (1998) Poultry, women and development: old ideas, new applications and the need for more research. World Animal Review 91: 4348.Google Scholar
Sonaiya, E.B., Branckaert, R.D.S. and GuÈYe, E.F. (1999) Research and development options for family poultry. Introductory paper to the First INFPD/FAO Electronic Conference on the Scope and Effect of Family Poultry Research and Development (Guèye, E.F., Ed.), http://www.fao.org/waicent/faoinfo/agricult/aga/agap/lpa/fampo1/intropap.htm.Google Scholar