Building A Resilient Foundation: Land O'Lakes integration of Social and Economic Approaches Mara Russell May 8, 2012 USAID/USDA International Food Aid.

Building A Resilient Foundation: Land O'Lakes integration of

Social and Economic Approaches

Mara RussellMay 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

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

Economic Strengthening: Turning Risk into Opportunity

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 WomenZambia 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 Manica Province•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!

Thank You!