Bargaining Power and Biofortification: The Role of Gender in Adoption of Orange Sweet Potato in Uganda

28 Pages Posted: 22 Aug 2014

See all articles by Daniel O. Gilligan

Daniel O. Gilligan

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Neha Kumar

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Scott Craig McNiven

Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, UC Davis

J. V. Meenakshi

University of Delhi - Delhi School of Economics

Agnes R. Quisumbing

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Date Written: June 13, 2014

Abstract

We examine the role of gender in adoption and diffusion of orange sweet potato, a biofortified staple food crop being promoted as a strategy to increase dietary intakes of vitamin A among young children and adult women in Uganda. As an agricultural intervention with nutrition objectives, intrahousehold gender dynamics regarding decisions about crop choice and child feeding practices may play a role in adoption decisions. Also, most households access sweet potato vines through informal exchange, suggesting again that gender dimensions of networks may be important to diffusion of the crop. We use data from an experimental impact evaluation of the introduction of OSP in Uganda to study how female bargaining power, measured by share of land and nonland assets controlled by women, affect adoption and diffusion decisions. We find that the share of assets controlled by women does not affect the probability of adopting OSP at the household level. In examining adoption decisions within households, plots of land exclusively controlled by women are not more likely to contain OSP, but plots under joint control of men and women, in which a woman has primary control over decisionmaking are significantly more likely to contain OSP. Plots exclusively controlled by men are the least likely to contain OSP. Also, we find that the share of nonland assets controlled by women increases dietary intakes of vitamin A, but this measure of female bargaining power does not increase the impact of the OSP project on vitamin A, suggesting that the project had similar impacts across households with different levels of female bargaining power.

Keywords: Biofortification, Gender, Micronutrients, Nutrition, Sweet potato, Technology adoption, Vitamin A, Women, Africa, Africa South of Sahara, East Africa, Uganda

JEL Classification: I12, O33, Q16

Suggested Citation

Gilligan, Daniel O. and Kumar, Neha and McNiven, Scott Craig and Meenakshi, J. V. and Quisumbing, Agnes R., Bargaining Power and Biofortification: The Role of Gender in Adoption of Orange Sweet Potato in Uganda (June 13, 2014). IFPRI Discussion Paper 01353, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2483972 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2483972

Daniel O. Gilligan (Contact Author)

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) ( email )

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Neha Kumar

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) ( email )

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Scott Craig McNiven

Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, UC Davis ( email )

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Davis, CA 95616
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J. V. Meenakshi

University of Delhi - Delhi School of Economics

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Delhi-110007, Delhi 110032
India

Agnes R. Quisumbing

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) ( email )

1201 Eye St, NW,
Washington, DC 20005
United States

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