Building A Resilient Foundation: Land O'Lakes integration of Social and Economic Approaches Mara Russell May 8, 2012 USAID/USDA International Food Aid and Development Conference, Kansas City

Vulnerability: Economic and Social disadvantages Vulnerable groups at economic disadvantage: – Can’t face challenges: lack productive assets, capacity, livelihood options/opportunities – Difficult environment: lack of resources or access Social disadvantages as well: – Isolation: can’t depend on others – Lack control over resources – Social characteristics: predispose people to poverty – Result: hopelessness, low self-esteem, a sense that self- sufficiency is impossible

Building Assets from the Ground Up Village Savings & Loan Groups: Madagascar Savings are a safety-net against shocks Tremendous demand for groups Women and men participate Financial literacy Sense of community: develop trust, work together to plan Generated from within the community

Ethiopia Dairy Development Program: Dairy Income Generation Activities (DIGAs) for PLWHA IGAs support dairy value chain 144 DIGAs engaged 2,930 PLWHA, 87% operating, 60%+ profitable 37 CBOs trained on ES Toolkit DIGAs informally/formally provided HIV prevention info Product acceptance good to very good Community respect for people affected by HIV good to very good Economic Strengthening: Turning Risk into Opportunity

Women & Girls: Particular disadvantages Cultural limitations: Asset ownership, education, training and services, business ownership/management, commercial activity Access to productive assets: Through husbands Social exclusion: limits at community level Women-headed households: lack of assets, labor, income; also isolation

Building Productive Assets and Respect for Women Zambia Community Livestock Project Productive assets to enhance coping 2/3 beneficiaries women Training, dairy goats Groups linked to CLWs Holistic Management Rangeland Practices Links to markets Targeting women has built their self-esteem, respect High consumption of goat milk

Women’s Decision-Making Results in Value Addition! Mozambique Dairy Development Project; Gender and Assets Project 1,700 farmers in Manica Province 421 Jersey in-calf heifers and 44 bulls Raised incomes by 225% on average (MTE) Training: dairy production, cooperative marketing, dairy quality, animal traction, fodder crop & pasture management BUT: Project did not reach women Added requirement: 2 family members needed to attend trainings Men consulted women more! Women have become specialists in ensuring milk quality

Resilience: Some Lessons Learned Strengthening social linkages along with economic capacity enables people to depend on one another. Valuing people for their economic capacity strengthens their social status and self-esteem. Removing gender barriers and social stigma frees economic potential. Building resilience involves more than increasing incomes. We all have lots of work to do!

Thank You!