SUPERVISOR: Stefanie LEMKE

PROJECT ASSIGNED TO: Inès Fabienne ROUAMBA

Community-based livestock breeding programmes (CBBPs) engage local farmers in breeding strategies tailored to specific environmental and socio-economic contexts, enhancing genetic resources and promoting indigenous breed conservation. However, traditional gender norms often limit women's participation in these initiatives. The LoCaBreed project in Southwestern Burkina Faso has successfully transitioned cattle keepers into breeders and established a breeders' association, emphasizing the importance of inclusive approaches for marginalized groups, particularly women and youth. The ongoing LoCaBreed 2.0 phase aims to strengthen these programmes and expand to include goats, traditionally managed by women. This PhD research, funded by the Austrian Partnership Programme in Higher Education and Research for Development (APPEAR), investigates barriers faced by women and youth in CBBPs. It aims to identify potential strategies for overcoming these barriers and promoting empowerment through an intersectional lens that incorporates feminist political ecology and the theory of care. Key research questions focus on decision-making barriers, equitable access to resources, and care responsibilities impacting participation. Using qualitative methodologies, including participatory observations, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions, the research will gather gender-disaggregated data to illuminate the nuanced power dynamics at play in smallholder farming systems. Data will be collected in the communes of Bouroum-Bouroum and Loropeni in the Poni province. The findings are expected to contribute to a deeper understanding of structural inequalities in livestock breeding programmes and to propose strategies for fostering equitable access and participation. Ultimately, this project seeks to inform policy and practice, advocating for gender-transformative approaches that empower diverse stakeholders within the agricultural sector, thereby supporting sustainable livestock management and conservation of local breeds.

 

Field visit, Bouroum-Bouroum, November 2023 © Ines Fabienne Rouamba       

World Café, Bobo Dioulasso, April 2023 © Stefanie Lemke