ISSN-L 2026-5611 FAO REGIONALFAO OFFICERegional FOR OfficeAFRICA for Nature & Faune Enhancing natural resources management for food security in Africa Volume 29, Issue 1 Enhancing gender equality in the management of Africa's natural resources Editor: Foday Bojang Deputy Editor: Ada Ndeso-Atanga FAO Regional Office for Africa [email protected] http://www.fao.org/africa/resources/nature-faune/en/ Nature & Faune Journal, Volume 29, Issue 1 FAO REGIONALFAO OFFICERegional FOR OfficeAFRICA for Africa BOARD OF REVIEWERS Christel Palmberg-Lerche Forest geneticist Rome, Italy Mafa Chipeta Food security adviser Limbe, Malawi Kay Muir-Leresche Policy economist/specialist in agricultural and natural resource economics Rooiels Cape, South Africa Jeffrey Sayer Ecologist/expert in political and economic context of natural resources conservation Cairns, N. Queensland, Australia Sébastien Le Bel Wildlife specialist and scientist Montpellier, France Fred Kafeero Natural resources specialist Rome, Italy August Temu Agroforestry and forestry education expert Arusha, Tanzania Jean Prosper Koyo Renewable natural resources adviser Pointe Noire, Republic of Congo Douglas Williamson Wildlife specialist England, United Kingdom El Hadji M. Sène Forest resources management & dry zone forestry specialist Dakar, Senegal Ousmane Guindo Specialist in agricultural trade & marketing policies and natural resource management Asmara, Eritrea Advisers: Atse Yapi, Christopher Nugent, Fernando Salinas, René Czudek Nature & Faune Journal, Volume 29, Issue 1 FAO REGIONALFAO OFFICERegional FOR OfficeAFRICA for Africa The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. 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Nature & Faune Journal, Volume 29, Issue 1 FAO REGIONALFAO OFFICERegional FOR OfficeAFRICA for Africa Contents Message to Readers Bukar Tijani 1 Editorial Tacko Ndiaye 3 Special Feature Gender in agroforestry: Implications for Action-Research Ann Degrande and Djalalou-Dine Ademonla Arinloye 6 Opinion Piece Women’s participation in rural organizations: Why is it important for Improving Livelihoods and Sustainable Management of Natural Resource? Susan Kaaria and Martha Osorio 12 Linking Farmer Field Schools and South-South Cooperation to empower African women Peter Anaadumba and Festus Akinnifesi 17 Articles Health risks associated with peri-urban vegetable production by women smallholder farmers in West Africa Anthony Youdeowei 23 Women and Agricultural Land Tenure Policies and Practices: Examples from Eastern Africa Sebastian Grey, Edward Kilawe and Eugene Rurangwa 27 Examining culture and gender equality in forest management: A case of Nyimba, Eastern Zambia Roselyne M. Mwila 33 A decisive impact in natural resource sustainability: Key gender considerations in post-harvest fisheries Yvette Diei-Ouadi , Katrien Holvoet , and Aina Randrianantoandro 39 Gender at the interface of natural resource management and livestock development Tacko Ndiaye and Cheikh Ly 45 The Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel initiative: An opportunity to enhancing gender equality in the management of Africa's natural resources Nora Berrahmouni and Foday Bojang 50 Country Focus: Tanzania Anja Fasse and Etti Winter 54 FAO Activities and Results Women feed households even in time of crisis: Could gender equality be a key factor in the agricultural development of Africa? Nadia Nsabimbona 60 Nature & Faune Journal, Volume 29, Issue 1 FAO REGIONALFAO OFFICERegional FOR OfficeAFRICA for Africa News 63 Announcement 67 Theme and Deadline for Next Issue 69 Guidelines for Authors, Subscription and Correspondence 70 Nature & Faune Journal, Volume 29, Issue 1 FAO REGIONALFAO OFFICERegional FOR OfficeAFRICA for Africa Photo courtesy of Panos / Hamish Wilson Nature & Faune Journal, Volume 29, Issue 1 FAO REGIONAL OFFICE FOR AFRICA Message to Readers Bukar Tijani1 others, men are better. As depicted in the article on post-harvest fisheries by Yvette Diei-Ouadi, Katrien Holvoet , and Aina Randrianantoandro it is not a zero sum game in which either men or women must lose; it he central theme of this edition of Nature & is more a case of men and women together Faune journal is “Enhancing gender equality in generating much more impact. Practitioners in the T the management of Africa's natural resources”. natural resources sector recognize these natural It reviews the situation including achievements and attributes and sometimes talk about how to best challenges related to adequacy, equity and equality in capitalize on them and to reduce the tendency to the roles the two genders play in natural resources either ignore them or to suppress them in dogmatic management. It is common knowledge that in pursuit of mechanistic equality. general, women tend to be the disadvantaged party in many cases. In recent years, gender issues have The present issue of the journal carries “success been at the center of high level consultations in Africa story articles” on gender (Nadia Nsabimbona looks at and elsewhere in the world. The recent African Union successful activities and achievements by women in Summit of Heads of States in Malabo, Equatorial Zimbabwe, Niger and Chad). Articles that remind Guinea endorsed the theme of the January 2015 readers of the critical challenges that need to be Summit of the African Union as: Year of women's addressed are also featured. The articles attempt to empowerment and development towards Africa's inspire all parties involved in resource management Agenda 2063. Year 2015 also coincides with the by highlighting how we can transform into reality Beijing plus 20 Conference which will commemorate some of the vast potential for Africa’s renewable the 20th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference natural resources. Indeed Benjamin DeRidder draws on Women in Beijing and review progress in attention to the news unfolding in Lima, Peru, arguing implementing the Beijing Platform for Action. This that a focus on gender is unavoidable if we want to edition of Nature & Faune journal is a contribution of achieve effective Climate-smart agricultural Food and Agriculture Organization of the United transformation in Africa. In the editorial Tacko Ndiaye Nations (FAO) to these processes, reflecting FAO’s reviews some of the achievements and challenges in strong commitment to gender equality and women’s implementing the Beijing Platform for Action since its empowerment. You will find short articles highlighting adoption almost twenty years ago, as they relate to various aspects of how to improve gender equality in the management of Africa’s renewable natural the management of Africa's renewable natural resources. resources. Ann Degrande and Djalalou-Dine Arinloye in the It is important to recognize that there is a role that Special Feature discuss issues surrounding women’s men can play in strengthening women participation, participation in agroforestry. Women are often leading to improved management of natural intimately linked to the benefits to be gained from this resources. The fourteen articles featured in this activity, and the article highlights the challenges they edition seek answers to such questions as “what face and cites examples that have enhanced their aspect of natural resources management can be involvement in management. Their article made to function better by engaging both men and acknowledges that women’s decision making and women in the most effective ways?” The edition management power related to production systems is recognizes that in certain aspects of resource complex and highly context-specific. Despite women’s management women can do better than men; while in active involvement in diverse agroforestry practices (e.g. management of nitrogen-fixing and fodder trees, domestication of indigenous fruit trees), their level of 1 Bukar Tijani. Assistant Director-General/Regional participation and benefits are often constrained by Representative for Africa, Regional Office for Africa, United cultural norms and limited resources. Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, This viewpoint is corroborated