Investments in nutritious foods value chains improve gender equality, report highlights

29 Jul 2024 --- A new report by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) shows a link between investments in nutritious food value chains and improved gender equality in the agri-food sector and calls for more funding. The GAIN report titled “The Case for Investment in Nutritious Foods Value Chains: An Opportunity for Gender Impact,” examines six nutritious food value chains in three geographies from a gender perspective — cashew nuts and poultry in Sub-Saharan Africa, aquaculture and quinoa in Latin America and tomatoes and dairy in South Asia.

“Food security efforts and agricultural investments have often focused on food quantity and the increased production and consumption of staple crops. However, to achieve food security, the nutrition aspect of food production and consumption cannot be overlooked,” the authors of the paper highlight.

“Nutrition investments are an opportunity for investors to strengthen nutritious foods value chains and, at the same time, invest in the world’s women. There is both a strong business case and impact case to invest in nutritious food systems with a gender lens.”

Bridging the gap 
The report calls for increased funding to nutritious foods value chains, in particular small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which “critically lack access to financing in emerging markets,” by showcasing the positive implications this could have for gender equality in the sector. 

 Nutrition investments are an opportunity for investors to strengthen nutritious foods value chains and invest in women.Globally, women comprise 38% of all agri-food workers, while their role in developing regions is even more pronounced. According to the FAO, 66% of employed women in Sub-Saharan Africa and 71% in South Asia work in the sector. In Latin America and the Caribbean, 29% of working women are employed in the sector. 

Despite the high rate of participation, women in agri-food sectors continue to face a number of barriers, being less likely to have access to key assets, resources and services, often facing discriminatory social norms and legal frameworks, making them more vulnerable to faulty employment conditions and gender-based violence. 

The authors state: “We demonstrate that investing in nutritious foods value chains is a way for investors to realize significant gender impact and highlight companies operating in these value chains with commercial and gender potential. The hope is that more funding will be unlocked into nutritious food value chains, and in particular into SMEs, which critically lack access to financing in emerging markets.”

Business and impact
The report makes the case that taking a gender lens in nutritious food investments can benefit businesses while simultaneously offering a positive social impact.

Greater investment can improve supplier productivity and business resilience and create a more productive and loyal workforce. 

According to data by FAO, women’s farms’ yields can be increased by 20% to 30% if gender inequalities are reduced. Meanwhile, ensuring women’s full participation and benefits improves agri-food resilience, as men in emerging markets increasingly migrate off-farm to pursue employment. Additionally, improved gender equality can result in higher retention and lower training costs for agribusinesses. 

In terms of social impact, investments in nutritious food chains contribute to global food security and nutrition by helping female farmers, as women’s empowerment has been shown by FAO to lead to improved household diets and improved child nutrition. Additionally, they can improve women’s access to resources and access to markets. They may contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation by making value chains more sustainable. 

Women and girls are most vulnerable to acute food security in active conflict zones, with gender inequality exacerbating the issue, highlighted the humanitarian organization CARE in an interview for Nutrition Insight.

By Milana Nikolova