Intra-Household Handling and Consumption Dynamics of Milk in Peri-Urban Informal Markets in Tanzania and Kenya: A Gender Lens

Alessandra Galiè, Cathy Rozel Farnworth, Nelly Njiru and Silvia Alonso
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Alessandra Galiè: International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi 00100, Kenya
Cathy Rozel Farnworth: Pandia Consulting, 48145 Münster, Germany
Nelly Njiru: International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi 00100, Kenya
Silvia Alonso: International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), P.O. Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 6, 1-19

Abstract: Milk, provided it is safe, provides important micronutrients that can combat hidden hunger (undernutrition). Many peri-urban poor people in Tanzania and Kenya use informal markets to purchase milk in order to provide nutritional benefits to their families. Household decision-making processes play an influential role in how much milk to buy and how it is treated. This exploratory qualitative study, conducted in peri-urban Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, examined how access to milk, control over milk handling and safety, and intra-household milk distribution are affected by gender dynamics and by changes in milk availability and price. Focus group discussions with 48 women and 45 men and key informant interviews with 8 men and 8 women, all of whom were parents or caretakers to young children, were conducted. The results indicate that gender roles in milk purchase and handling vary. Generally, providing enough milk is a man’s responsibility, whilst a woman is expected to ensure a nutritious diet. Yet women’s limited decision-making power regarding milk purchase can restrict their ability to provide sufficient milk. Interventions to promote safe milk consumption need to consider gender norms, strengthen intra-household collaborative decision-making, include men in nutrition programming, and increase women’s control over food expenditures.

Keywords: sustainable development goals; peri-urban; milk safety; nutrition; gender (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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