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Building A Resilient Foundation: Land O'Lakes integration of Social and Economic Approaches. Mara Russell May 8, 2012 USAID/USDA International Food Aid and Development Conference, Kansas City. Vulnerability: Economic and Social disadvantages. Vulnerable groups at economic disadvantage:
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Building A Resilient Foundation: Land O'Lakes integration of Social and Economic Approaches Mara Russell May 8, 2012 USAID/USDA International Food Aid and Development Conference, Kansas City
Vulnerability: Economic and Social disadvantages • Vulnerable groups at economic disadvantage: • Can’t face challenges: lack productive assets, capacity, livelihood options/opportunities • Difficult environment: lack of resources or access • Social disadvantages as well: • Isolation: can’t depend on others • Lack control over resources • Social characteristics: predispose people to poverty • Result: hopelessness, low self-esteem, a sense that self-sufficiency is impossible
Building Assets from the Ground Up Village Savings & Loan Groups: Madagascar Savings are a safety-net against shocks Tremendous demand for groups Women and men participate Financial literacy Sense of community: develop trust, work together to plan Generated from within the community
Economic Strengthening: Turning Risk into Opportunity Ethiopia Dairy Development Program: Dairy Income Generation Activities (DIGAs) for PLWHA IGAs support dairy value chain 144 DIGAs engaged 2,930 PLWHA, 87% operating, 60%+ profitable 37 CBOs trained on ES Toolkit DIGAs informally/formally provided HIV prevention info Product acceptance good to very good Community respect for people affected by HIV good to very good
Women & Girls:Particular disadvantages • Cultural limitations: Asset ownership, education, training and services, business ownership/management, commercial activity • Access to productive assets: Through husbands • Social exclusion: limits at community level • Women-headed households: lack of assets, labor, income; also isolation
Building Productive Assetsand Respect for Women Zambia Community Livestock Project Productive assets to enhance coping 2/3 beneficiaries women Training, dairy goats Groups linked to CLWs Holistic Management Rangeland Practices Links to markets Targeting women has built their self-esteem, respect High consumption of goat milk
Women’s Decision-Making Results in Value Addition! Mozambique Dairy Development Project; Gender and Assets Project 1,700 farmers in ManicaProvince 421 Jersey in-calf heifers and 44 bulls Raised incomes by 225% on average (MTE) Training: dairy production, cooperative marketing, dairy quality, animal traction, fodder crop &pasture management BUT: Project did not reach women Added requirement: 2 family members needed to attend trainings Men consulted women more! Women have become specialists in ensuring milk quality
Resilience: Some Lessons Learned • Strengthening social linkages along with economic capacity enables people to depend on one another. • Valuing people for their economic capacity strengthens their social status and self-esteem. • Removing gender barriers and social stigma frees economic potential. • Building resilience involves more than increasing incomes. We all have lots of work to do!