Moreover , women had limited incentives to improve the quality of the milk , as they had a limited share of the income generated from the sale of raw milk . They emphasized that during the rainy season , when there is an increase in milk production but also in bacterial contamination , Fulani men tend to keep the money for expansion of their herds ( Fasoranti , 2016 ).
To help reduce bacterial contamination of fresh milk , FrieslandCampina first set up water points at the MCCs and dug solar-powered boreholes in the Fulani communities . Consequently , men have become more involved in washing the equipment at the MCCs immediately after delivery and women have clean water to wash buckets , sieves , and other equipment with the appropriate detergent at the prebulking level . The water points also saved women the time it would have taken to walk long distances to get water .
Second , women were given the opportunity to participate in trainings in milk quality and the importance of hygiene at all stages of milk production . 2SCALE organized training sessions at the community level and designed them to specifically allow for women ’ s effective participation ; trainings included demonstrations and simple messages using pictures and diagrams . Consequently , from 2015 onward , the milk quality improved tremendously . This helped women gain recognition as game changers by FrieslandCampina . Because of their key contribution to milk quality as well as their dynamism and eagerness to seize new business opportunities for the benefit of the whole Fulani community , Fulani women are increasingly receiving priority support from FrieslandCampina and 2SCALE , such as facilitation of land and barn access on a lease basis to be reimbursed in-kind ( milk ).
As a result , the fresh milk business allowed Fulani women more free time because less time was spent transporting water to process and sell cheese . To unlock new opportunities , 2SCALE encouraged women to become retailers of the end products of their milk as an incomegenerating activity . The program linked Fulani women to FrieslandCampina product marketers to access dairy products for petty trading at the community level . Consequently , women spent less money to travel to the city and increased incomes in an area over which they have direct control .
Training Women and Men in Integrated Soil Fertility Management – Benin , Ghana , Mali , and Nigeria
In vegetable production in West Africa , soil fertility is one of the key factors limiting farm productivity . Farmers grow their crops on very poor quality soil while using large quantities of mineral fertilizers with a low recovery fraction due to insufficient organic matter in the soil . Without a good understanding of the role of organic matter in the soil , farmers struggle to increase their vegetable production . From 2013 to 2016 , 2SCALE organized a training-of-trainers program on integrated soil fertility management in Benin , Ghana , Mali , and Nigeria . The program emphasized the use of organic matter to improve soil fertility . Access to organic matter is more problematic for women since they usually do
Fulani woman during 2SCALE training in hygienic milk production – Dairy Partnership , led by FrieslandCampina , Nigeria .
not own cows or small ruminants , such as sheep and goats . With 2SCALE ’ s support , women cooperatives in Segou , Mali , started producing their own compost using locally available materials and adding ash from their kitchens . Combined with other good practices , this allowed them to increase their onion yield from 9 t / ha to over 20 t / ha and to increase their revenue . Organic matter also has a significant impact on the shelf life of vegetables ( like onion ) and fruits . This benefits traders ( often women ) who can transport or store their goods for a longer period . The members of the women marketers association of vegetables in Bamako , Mali , indicated that vegetables from 2SCALE-supported farmers are of better quality : the skin is firmer , the water content is lower ( thus increasing shelf life ), and their appearance is more appealing . These vegetables can be sold at a premium .
4.2 Innovations and Time- and Labor-Saving Technologies
Women are constrained from improving on-farm productivity because of time poverty linked to their household responsibilities . This is due to social norms and perceptions in which household work is mainly allocated to women . They also have a disproportionate responsibility for tedious and time-consuming farm activities , such as weeding , sorting , watering , and planting , for which there is low use of technology . Access to technology is costly and often hindered by lack of capital to invest and poor access to finance . This has an impact on women ’ s workload , time , and yields . 2SCALE introduced simple and locally made technologies and increased their accessibility by linking women to local microfinance institutions . Supporting women in their productive role increases the yields of their crops and may encourage them to upgrade their farm
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