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With research staff from more than 60 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

researcher spotlight

Liangzhi You

Liangzhi You is a Senior Research Fellow and theme leader in the Foresight and Policy Modeling Unit, based in Washington, DC. His research focuses on climate resilience, spatial data and analytics, agroecosystems, and agricultural science policy. Gridded crop production data of the world (SPAM) and the agricultural technology evaluation model (DREAM) are among his research contributions. 

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Projects

IFPRI is conducting a five-year impact evaluation in Burkina Faso designed to address key knowledge gaps on the impact of poultry value chain interventions on the diets, health and nutritional status of women and children. The impact evaluation is designed around the scale-up of the Soutenir l’Exploitation Familiale pour Lancer l’Élevage des Volailles et Valoriser l’Économie Rurale (SELEVER) project, a five-year initiative implemented by Tanager and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The SELEVER intervention involves an integrated market-facilitation approach combining revenue generation, women’s empowerment, and nutritional behavior change interventions. The mixed-methods impact evaluation includes a randomized trial, process evaluation, cost analysis, and a qualitative gender study.

Project duration: 2016 – 2021

Contact

Aulo Gelli

Donors and funders

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH) led by IFPRI

CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM)

Project partners

AFRICSante

Tanager

Gender, Agriculture, and Assets Project (GAAP)

Publications

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

Can a gender-sensitive integrated poultry value chain and nutrition intervention increase women’s empowerment among the rural poor in Burkina Faso?

2023Heckert, Jessica; Martinez, Elena M.; Sanou, Armande; Pedehombga, Abdoulaye; Ganaba, Rasmané; Gelli, Aulo
Details

Can a gender-sensitive integrated poultry value chain and nutrition intervention increase women’s empowerment among the rural poor in Burkina Faso?

Understanding the types of food systems interventions that foster women’s empowerment and the types of women that are able to benefit from different interventions is important for development policy. SELEVER was a gender- and nutrition-sensitive poultry production intervention implemented in western Burkina Faso from 2017 to 2020 that aimed to empower women. We evaluated SELEVER using a mixed-methods cluster-randomized controlled trial, which included survey data from 1763 households at baseline and endline and a sub-sample for two interim lean season surveys. We used the multidimensional project-level Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (pro-WEAI), which consists of 12 binary indicators, underlying count versions of 10 of these, an aggregate empowerment score (continuous) and a binary aggregate empowerment indicator, all for women and men. Women’s and men’s scores were compared to assess gender parity. We also assessed impacts on health and nutrition agency using the pro-WEAI health and nutrition module. We estimated program impact using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) models and examined whether there were differential impacts by flock size or among those who participated in program activities (treatment on the treated). Program impacts on empowerment and gender parity were null, despite the program’s multipronged and gender-sensitive approach. Meanwhile, results of the in-depth gender-focused qualitative work conducted near the project mid-point found there was greater awareness in the community of women’s time burden and their economic contributions, but it did not seem that awareness led to increased empowerment of women. We reflect on possible explanations for the null findings. One notable explanation may be the lack of a productive asset transfer, which have previously been shown to be essential, but not sufficient, for the empowerment of women in agricultural development programs. We consider these findings in light of current debates on asset transfers. Unfortunately, null impacts on women’s empowerment are not uncommon, and it is important to learn from such findings to strengthen future program design and delivery.

Year published

2023

Authors

Heckert, Jessica; Martinez, Elena M.; Sanou, Armande; Pedehombga, Abdoulaye; Ganaba, Rasmané; Gelli, Aulo

Citation

Heckert, Jessica; Martinez, Elena M.; Sanou, Armande; Pedehombga, Abdoulaye; Ganaba, Rasmané; and Gelli, Aulo. 2023. Can a gender-sensitive integrated poultry value chain and nutrition intervention increase women’s empowerment among the rural poor in Burkina Faso? Journal of Rural Studies 100(May 2023): 103026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2023.103026

Country/Region

Burkina Faso

Keywords

Western Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Africa; Value Chains; Poultry; Data Analysis; Data; Gender; Women’s Empowerment; Surveys; Nutrition; Men; Food Systems; Women

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2023.103026 Source record

Project

Agriculture for Nutrition and Health

Record type

Journal Article

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

The impact of an integrated value chain intervention on household poultry production in Burkina Faso: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial

2022Leight, Jessica; Awonon, Josué; Pedehombga, Abdoulaye; Ganaba, Rasmané; Martinez, Elena M.; Heckert, Jessica; Gelli, Aulo
Details

The impact of an integrated value chain intervention on household poultry production in Burkina Faso: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial

This article reports on a cluster-randomised controlled trial conducted in rural Burkina Faso evaluating a multifaceted intervention, SELEVER, that seeks to increase poultry production by delivering training and strengthening of village-level institutions providing veterinary and credit services. Households exposed to the intervention significantly increase their use of poultry inputs (veterinary services, enhanced feeds, and deworming), and report more poultry sold and higher revenue. However, there is no evidence of an increase in profits. This evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that the return to inputs may not be sufficient to counterbalance the market costs of these inputs.

Year published

2022

Authors

Leight, Jessica; Awonon, Josué; Pedehombga, Abdoulaye; Ganaba, Rasmané; Martinez, Elena M.; Heckert, Jessica; Gelli, Aulo

Citation

Leight, Jessica; Awonon, Josué; Pedehombga, Abdoulaye; Ganaba, Rasmané; Martinez, Elena M.; Heckert, Jessica; and Gelli, Aulo. 2022 The impact of an integrated value chain intervention on household poultry production in Burkina Faso: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Development Effectiveness 14(2): 108-124. https://doi.org/10.1080/19439342.2021.1968932

Country/Region

Burkina Faso

Keywords

Western Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Africa; Value Chains; Poultry; Agricultural Training; Households; Capacity Development; Livestock; Animal Production

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1080/19439342.2021.1968932 Source record

Project

Agriculture for Nutrition and Health

Record type

Journal Article

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

A poultry value chain intervention promoting diversified diets has limited impact on maternal and child diet adequacy during the lean season in a cluster randomized controlled trial

2022Becquey, Elodie; Diop, Loty; Awonon, Josué; Diatta, Ampa Dogui; Ganaba, Rasmané; Pedehombga, Abdoulaye; Gelli, Aulo
Details

A poultry value chain intervention promoting diversified diets has limited impact on maternal and child diet adequacy during the lean season in a cluster randomized controlled trial

Background: SELEVER is a nutrition- and gender-sensitive poultry value chain project designed and implemented by international NGO Tanager which consists of poultry market facilitation and behavior change activities aiming at increasing poultry production and improving diets without free inputs transfer. Objectives: The study aimed at assessing the impact of SELEVER on diets of women and children during the lean season. Methods: Within a cluster-randomized controlled trial, 45 communes were assigned to one of three arms, including 1) SELEVER interventions; 2) SELEVER with an intensive hygiene and sanitation component (SELEVER + WASH); and 3) a control group without intervention. Two rounds of survey were conducted 2 years apart during the lean season. Primary dietary outcomes were the probability of adequacy (PA) of iron, zinc and vitamin A intakes, mean PA (MPA) of 11 micronutrients and individual dietary diversity score collected through quantitative 24-hour recall in longitudinal samples of women and index children (2–4 years old) in 1,054 households; and minimum acceptable diet in the repeated cross-sectional sample of their younger sibling aged 6–23 months. Impacts were assessed by intention-to-treat analysis of covariance. Results: Relative to control, SELEVER interventions (groups 1 + 2) increased the PA of iron intakes in women by 1.8 pp (P = 0.030). We found no further impact on primary outcomes, although eggs consumption increased in index children (+0.73 pp, P = 0.010; +0.69 kcal/d, P = 0.036). Across the three groups, we observed negative effects of SELEVER on the PA of zinc intakes in women relative to SELEVER + WASH (-4.1 pp, P = 0.038), and on a variety of secondary dietary outcomes relative to both other groups. The study was registered on the ISCRCTN registry (ISRCTN16686478). Conclusions: information-only-based value-chain interventions may not have meaningful positive effects on diets of women and children in the lean season in settings with largely inadequate diets. We found suggestive evidence that synergies between intervention components may have introduced heterogeneity in effects on diet.

Year published

2022

Authors

Becquey, Elodie; Diop, Loty; Awonon, Josué; Diatta, Ampa Dogui; Ganaba, Rasmané; Pedehombga, Abdoulaye; Gelli, Aulo

Citation

Becquey, Elodie; Diop, Loty; Awonon, Josue; Diatta, Ampa Dogui; Ganaba, Rasmane; Pedehombga, Abdoulaye; and Gelli, Aulo. 2022. A poultry value chain intervention promoting diversified diets has limited impact on maternal and child diet adequacy during the lean season in a cluster randomized controlled trial. Journal of Nutrition 152(5): 1336–1346. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxac034

Keywords

Value Chains; Maternal and Child Health; Poultry; Supply Chains; Child Nutrition; Nutrient Intake; Randomized Controlled Trials; Diets; Nutrition; Trace Elements; Behaviour; Diet; Dietary Diversity

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxac034 Source record

Project

Agriculture for Nutrition and Health

Record type

Journal Article

Blogs

Unpacking the effects of a complex intervention on women’s poultry production: Evidence from Burkina Faso
IFPRI Blog
 | 
November 23, 2021

Unpacking the effects of a complex intervention on women’s poultry production: Evidence from Burkina Faso

By Jessica Leight, Jessica Heckert, and Aulo Gelli

Results from a randomized controlled trial.

Donors

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH) led by IFPRI
CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM)

Team members

Aulo Gelli

Aulo Gelli

Senior Research Fellow, Poverty,
Gender, and Inclusion

Aulo Gelli

Aulo Gelli

Senior Research Fellow, Poverty,
Gender, and Inclusion

Elodie Becquey

Elodie Becquey

Senior Research Fellow, Africa,
Nutrition, Diets, and Health

Marie Ruel

Marie Ruel

Senior Research Fellow, Nutrition,
Diets, and Health

Derek Headey

Derek Headey

Senior Research Fellow, Development
Strategies and Governance

Loty Diop

Loty Diop

Senior Research Analyst, Nutrition,
Diets, and Health

Other

Topics/Countries