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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

Ruth Meinzen-Dick

Ruth Meinzen-Dick is a Senior Research Fellow in the Natural Resources and Resilience Unit. She has extensive transdisciplinary research experience in using qualitative and quantitative research methods. Her work focuses on two broad (and sometimes interrelated) areas: how institutions affect how people manage natural resources, and the role of gender in development processes. 

Where we work

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Where we work

IFPRI currently has more than 600 employees working in over 80 countries with a wide range of local, national, and international partners.

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experts

Innovation Policy and Scaling

Bjorn Van Campenhout

Research Fellow

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Bio

Bjorn Van Campenhout is a Research Fellow in the Innovation Policy and Scaling Unit. He is also an Associate Research Fellow at the LICOS Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance of the KU Leuven, Belgium.  His research focuses on smallholder agriculture, especially in East Africa. He has published on food market integration and smallholder market participation. Recently, he has been investigating the potential of information and communication technologies (ICT) to make agricultural extension more inclusive and effective. He earned a PhD from KU Leuven, Belgium.

Publications

Personal Website

CV

Publications

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Journal Article

Making complementary agricultural resources, technologies, and services more gender-responsive

2024Hidrobo, Melissa; Kosec, Katrina; Gartaula, Hom N.; Van Campenhout, Bjorn; Carrillo, Lucia
Details

Making complementary agricultural resources, technologies, and services more gender-responsive

Rural women in low- and middle-income countries face multiple constraints in accessing and benefiting from essential complementary resources, technologies, and services for agricultural production and participation in the agrifood system. This paper highlights recent thinking around these constraints and how to overcome them. The complementary factors we consider are: (1) networks and social capital, (2) information and communications technologies, (3) other agricultural tech nologies, (4) agricultural extension and advisory services, (5) financial services, and (6) social assistance. We first analyze constraints women face in accessing and benefiting from these complementary factors and describe the potential benefits of reducing these constraints and gender inequities in the agrifood system. We then provide evidence on what has been effective for improving women’s access to and ability to benefit from the six complementary factors. We conclude by highlighting the importance of considering the different preferences of men and women when designing policies and interventions; challenging customs, norms and perceptions; and reforming formal rules and institutions toward more inclusive agrifood systems.

Year published

2024

Authors

Hidrobo, Melissa; Kosec, Katrina; Gartaula, Hom N.; Van Campenhout, Bjorn; Carrillo, Lucia

Citation

Hidrobo, Melissa; Kosec, Katrina; Gartaula, Hom N.; Van Campenhout, Bjorn; and Carrillo, Lucia. 2024. Making complementary agricultural resources, technologies, and services more gender-responsive. Global Food Security 42: 100778. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2024.100778

Keywords

Women; Gender; Rural Areas; Agricultural Production; Agrifood Systems; Networks; Information and Communication Technologies; Agricultural Extension; Financial Inclusion

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2024.100778 Source record

Project

Gender Equality

Record type

Journal Article

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Working Paper

Quality upgrading in dairy value chains: Mixed methods evidence from southwestern Uganda

2024Ariong, Richard M.; Chamberlin, Jordan; Kariuki, Sarah Wairimu; Van Campenhout, Bjorn
Details

Quality upgrading in dairy value chains: Mixed methods evidence from southwestern Uganda

Quality upgrading may be lagging in value chains where the assessment and traceability of the quality of the underlying commodity is challenging. In Uganda’s southwestern milk shed, a variety of initiatives are trying to increase the quality of raw milk in dairy value chains. These initiatives generally involve the introduction of technologies that enable measurement of key quality parameters at strategic nodes in the value chain, in conjunction with a system that allows for tracking of these parameters throughout the supply chain. In this paper, we use a combination of focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and quantitative data that is generated by these initiatives to document outputs, describe emerging outcomes, and reflect on the potential impact. We find clear evidence that milk quality improved, but the effects on milk prices are more subtle.

Year published

2024

Authors

Ariong, Richard M.; Chamberlin, Jordan; Kariuki, Sarah Wairimu; Van Campenhout, Bjorn

Citation

Ariong, Richard M.; Chamberlin, Jordan; Kariuki, Sarah Wairimu; and Van Campenhout, Bjorn. 2024. Quality upgrading in dairy value chains: Mixed methods evidence from southwestern Uganda. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2264. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/149239

Country/Region

Uganda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Dairy Value Chains; Raw Milk; Research Methods; Technology

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Project

Rethinking Food Markets

Record type

Working Paper

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Journal Article

Gender bias in customer perceptions: The case of agro-input dealers in Uganda

2024De, Anusha; Miehe, Caroline; Van Campenhout, Bjorn
Details

Gender bias in customer perceptions: The case of agro-input dealers in Uganda

CONTEXT Faced with incomplete and imperfect information, economic actors rely predominantly on perceptions and often base decisions on heuristics prone to bias. Gender bias in perceptions favoring men has been found in a variety of settings and may be an important reason why some sectors remain dominated by men and gender gaps in terms of benefits persist. In modernizing food supply chains in a patriarchal context such as the maize sub-sector in Uganda, this may result in women facing significant barriers to entry. OBJECTIVE Using a unique dataset of ratings of agro-input dealers provided by smallholder farmers in their vicinity, we test if farmers perceive male-managed agro-input shops differently than agro-input shops managed by women. METHODS We use a dyadic dataset of farmer-dealer links to explicitly control for quality differences between male- and female-managed agro-input shops and use the fact that a farmer has generally rated more than one agro-input to account for farmer-level heterogeneity using fixed-effects regression. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS We find that farmers rate male-managed agro-input outlets higher on a range of attributes related to the dealership in general, as well as on the quality of inputs sold by the dealer. After controlling for both dealer and farmer level confounders, we conclude that gender bias in customer perceptions persists. SIGNIFICANCE Our results suggest a comparative disadvantage and an important entry barrier for female agro-input dealers. The gender bias may also affect social outcomes like women’s capabilities, aspirations, and empowerment in seed systems but also impairs development at more aggregate levels: as a considerable share of agro-input shops is managed by women, this finding may impose challenges for varietal turnover, hindering agricultural productivity, food security, and rural transformation. Policies and interventions designed to challenge gender norms and customs are needed to correct this bias.

Year published

2024

Authors

De, Anusha; Miehe, Caroline; Van Campenhout, Bjorn

Citation

De, Anusha; Miehe, Caroline; and Van Campenhout, Bjorn. 2024. Gender bias in customer perceptions: The case of agro-input dealers in Uganda. Agricultural Systems 217(May 2024): 103954. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2024.103954

Country/Region

Uganda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Farm Inputs; Gender; Maize; Supply Chains; Women

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2024.103954 Source record

Project

Seed Equal

Record type

Journal Article

Blogs

Enhancing milk quality in Uganda: Challenges and innovations in the dairy value chain
IFPRI Blog
 | 
September 09, 2024

Enhancing milk quality in Uganda: Challenges and innovations in the dairy value chain

By Richard Ariong, Bjorn Van Campenhout, Sarah W. Kariuki, and Jordan Chamberlin

Improving market incentives.

Behavioral explanations for the sell-low-buy-high puzzle in smallholder market participation: Lessons from a field experiment in Malawi
IFPRI Blog
 | 
July 22, 2024

Behavioral explanations for the sell-low-buy-high puzzle in smallholder market participation: Lessons from a field experiment in Malawi

By Joachim De Weerdt, Brian Dillon, Emmanuel Hami, Bjorn Van Campenhout, and Leocardia Nabwire

Our study tested two behavioral interventions—budgeting and sales planning—to understand and mitigate this paradox.

Gender bias in bargaining: Lessons from haggling over the price of seed in rural Uganda
IFPRI Blog
 | 
January 04, 2024

Gender bias in bargaining: Lessons from haggling over the price of seed in rural Uganda

By Bjorn Van Campenhout and Leocardia Nabwire

An experiment shows women face disadvantages.

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Events

32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists
IFPRI at External Event

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August 2 to 7, 2024

32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists

The triennial International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE-2024), centred on the theme “Transformation Towards Sustainable Agri-Food Systems” is scheduled from August 2-7, 2024, in New Delhi, India. The conference offers a distinctive platform, providing a golden opportunity for the agricultural academic institutions and researchers to convene in person, exchange knowledge, and actively contribute to the […]

31st International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE)
IFPRI at External Event

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August 17 to 31, 2021

31st International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE)

Virtual Event: AUG 17, 2021 – 08:00 AM to AUG 31, 2021 08:00 PM EDT. IFPRI is participating in the 31st Conference of Agriculture Economists organized by the International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE). 

American Economic Association Allied Social Science Associations (ASSA) 2021 Annual Meeting
IFPRI at External Event

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January 3 to 5, 2021

American Economic Association Allied Social Science Associations (ASSA) 2021 Annual Meeting

IFPRI is participating in the American Economic Association (AEA) Allied Social Science Associations (ASSA) 2021 Annual Meeting on January 3-5, 2021.  ASSA provides opportunities to share, collaborate, and learn about the latest research emerging in the field. Name Title Date Time Bjorn Van Campenhout INVITED POSTER SESSION Community Advocacy Forums and Public Service Delivery – Impact, and the Role of […]

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News

September 03, 2015 | In the News

The kindness of neighbours (The Economist)

A study about water scarcity by IFPRI research fellow Bjorn Van Campenhout was featured in The Economist. In Tanzania, a loosely-governed system where farmers divert much-needed water to their crops while saving some for their neighbors downstream raises questions about influence and gender equity. According to the article, “only high-status women shared the water fairly. […]