Gender-differentiated participation in postharvest activities

Better data on women and men's labor in agriculture is critical for designing policies and promoting sustainable practices. Smallholder farmers in Mexico produce grain for their home consumption but face important challenges, including postharvest loss. This research aims to understand gender dynamics associated with postharvest activities in three Mexican States, including gender interests and roles, access to and control over resources, and decision-making power in postharvest processes. Data on gender roles during preharvest, postharvest and housework were collected using a mixed methods approach with both quantitative surveys of women and men farmers and focus groups. Overall, men's participation in preharvest activities was more important, while women's participation in postharvest activities was more significant. In preharvest activities, men and women agreed that the most labor-intensive tasks are soil preparation and weed management, while the most tedious activities during postharvest are harvesting, cleaning and classification. Men and women expressed concerns about rain during harvesting time, poor crop management leading to low yields and tedious harvesting, and the lack of appropriate tools/machines to carry out harvesting and other postharvest activities. This data can be used to improve any postharvest programs in the regions to minimize loss and improve farmers' food security.
Sylvanus Odjo is a postharvest specialist working on the development and implementation of postharvest practices for cereals and other grains to achieve food security in rural communities in the developing world. He coordinates a network of research platforms for postharvest research with collaborators in Mexico, Central America and Africa to address research gaps and issue recommendations to farmers and representatives of the private sector, governments, national agricultural research institutions and non-governmental organizations.