March 2001 Insights Issue #36

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Fresh off the shelf
Gender and horticulture in Africa

Supermarkets now sell fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers all year round and South Africa, Kenya and Zambia are important suppliers. UK supermarkets are applying codes of conduct to the growers that supply them aiming to assure consumers that produce is grown in a socially responsible manner.

Most workers in export horticulture are female - 52 percent in South African fruit, 75 percent in Kenyan flowers, and 65 percent in Zambian vegetables. Employment is casual, temporary or seasonal. Many women do not have stable or independent employment contracts, receive lower wages, and do not have the same access to training, promotion or other employment benefits as men. Discrimination is often embedded in traditional farm employment practice.

Collaborative research by the universities of Sussex, East Anglia, and Greenwich shows that for codes to improve employment conditions of this largely female labour force, they must be gender sensitive in their design and implementation: mechanisms for ensuring women's participation in the process of monitoring and verification are essential. Local NGOs, women's groups and trade unions with a specific gender focus and a good understanding of local culture, issues, and legislation should be active in the process of developing, monitoring, and verifying codes. Evidence suggests that women are more likely to supply information and report to local organisations. Gender sensitive auditing of codes is essential but how can this be achieved?

• Include women on auditing teams with local knowledge and language skills and make visits during the peak female employment season.

• Scrutinise records of employment, contracts, training, promotion and representation for gender balance: with a 75 percent female workforce, what is the gender ratio of supervisors?

• Interview women separately using female auditors and away from the workplace if necessary.

• Provide gender training for auditors.

• Conduct systematic gender sensitive auditing.

• Encourage and showcase employers who display solid gender practice and procedures.

Gender sensitive ethical trade is essential in horticulture if employment conditions are to be improved. It makes good business sense: it benefits workers, helps create a committed workforce producing high quality products that can be sold with pride and is likely to increase profits.

Stephanie Barrientos
Institute of Development Studies
University of Sussex
Falmer BN1 9RE
UK
T +44 (0)1273 606261
stephanieb@ids.ac.uk

Catherine Dolan
School of Development Studies
University of East Anglia
Norfolk NR4 7TJ
UK
T +44 (0)1603 593 375
c.dolan@uea.ac.uk

Anne Tallontire
Natural Resources Institute
University of Greenwich
Kent ME4 4TB
UK
T + 44 (0)1634 883865
A.M.Tallontire@greenwich.ac.uk