Food production and the food crisis in Africa
Whitehead, A.
Changing perceptions writings on gender and development: 68-78
1991
Document Number: 335965
Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa today face a crisis in agricultural production. In recent years, the sexual division of labour has been seen as a possible determinant of food shortages, as women have limited resources available to them but they are increasingly expected to assume the responsibility of producing food for their families. This chapter contests this argument on the grounds that there exists a more complex relationship between changing gender relations and food availability in African households. Women's duties are defined as an independent occupation from that of the man of the family. The dual work role of men and women is said to be characterized by separate budgets and negotiated responsibilities. Hence, it is not the relegation of poorly endowed female family members to subsistence production that causes food crises, but the poverty of many peasant households and the way development projects plan for family production. Extension services, agricultural innovation and planning intervention are evaluated in this context and policy recommendations are made to prevent development from making women poorer.