Unleashing the social capital of self-help groups for strengthening seed systems in Uttar Pradesh, India

Walter S. de Boef; Samarth Singh; Pooja Trivedi; Kripal Singh Yadav; P.S. Mohanan; Sampath Kumar; Jagdish Prasad Yadavendra; Krista Isaacs

doi:10.1016/j.gfs.2021.100522

Unleashing the social capital of self-help groups for strengthening seed systems in Uttar Pradesh, India

Walter S. de Boef^*, Samarth Singh, Pooja Trivedi, Kripal Singh Yadav, P.S. Mohanan, Sampath Kumar, Jagdish Prasad Yadavendra, Krista Isaacs

^*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

Women's empowerment and varietal replacement of crops are often unconnected domains in agricultural development; an experience connecting both in India has global potential. Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojana, a women's empowerment and poverty reduction program in Uttar Pradesh, embedded seed practices within the collective structure of women's self-help groups. Through collective efforts, women became successful in the production and dissemination of quality seed of new rice and wheat varieties, reaching more than 30,000 small-scale farmers. They appropriated several components of the seed value chain; their social capital became instrumental in varietal replacement. The self-perception of women as knowledgeable farmers changed, as did the perception of household and community members; therefore, seed activities contributed to intrinsic women's empowerment.

Original language	English
Article number	100522
Journal	Global Food Security
Volume	29
Early online date	14 Mar 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2021.100522
Publication status	Published - 2021

Keywords

India
Seed systems
Self-help groups
Varietal replacement
Women's empowerment

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.gfs.2021.100522Licence: CC BY

https://edepot.wur.nl/544876Licence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Unleashing the social capital of self-help groups for strengthening seed systems in Uttar Pradesh, India",

abstract = "Women's empowerment and varietal replacement of crops are often unconnected domains in agricultural development; an experience connecting both in India has global potential. Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojana, a women's empowerment and poverty reduction program in Uttar Pradesh, embedded seed practices within the collective structure of women's self-help groups. Through collective efforts, women became successful in the production and dissemination of quality seed of new rice and wheat varieties, reaching more than 30,000 small-scale farmers. They appropriated several components of the seed value chain; their social capital became instrumental in varietal replacement. The self-perception of women as knowledgeable farmers changed, as did the perception of household and community members; therefore, seed activities contributed to intrinsic women's empowerment.",

keywords = "India, Seed systems, Self-help groups, Varietal replacement, Women's empowerment",

author = "{de Boef}, {Walter S.} and Samarth Singh and Pooja Trivedi and Yadav, {Kripal Singh} and P.S. Mohanan and Sampath Kumar and Yadavendra, {Jagdish Prasad} and Krista Isaacs",

year = "2021",

doi = "10.1016/j.gfs.2021.100522",

language = "English",

volume = "29",

journal = "Global Food Security",

issn = "2211-9124",

publisher = "Elsevier",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Unleashing the social capital of self-help groups for strengthening seed systems in Uttar Pradesh, India

AU - de Boef, Walter S.

AU - Singh, Samarth

AU - Trivedi, Pooja

AU - Yadav, Kripal Singh

AU - Mohanan, P.S.

AU - Kumar, Sampath

AU - Yadavendra, Jagdish Prasad

AU - Isaacs, Krista

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Women's empowerment and varietal replacement of crops are often unconnected domains in agricultural development; an experience connecting both in India has global potential. Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojana, a women's empowerment and poverty reduction program in Uttar Pradesh, embedded seed practices within the collective structure of women's self-help groups. Through collective efforts, women became successful in the production and dissemination of quality seed of new rice and wheat varieties, reaching more than 30,000 small-scale farmers. They appropriated several components of the seed value chain; their social capital became instrumental in varietal replacement. The self-perception of women as knowledgeable farmers changed, as did the perception of household and community members; therefore, seed activities contributed to intrinsic women's empowerment.

AB - Women's empowerment and varietal replacement of crops are often unconnected domains in agricultural development; an experience connecting both in India has global potential. Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojana, a women's empowerment and poverty reduction program in Uttar Pradesh, embedded seed practices within the collective structure of women's self-help groups. Through collective efforts, women became successful in the production and dissemination of quality seed of new rice and wheat varieties, reaching more than 30,000 small-scale farmers. They appropriated several components of the seed value chain; their social capital became instrumental in varietal replacement. The self-perception of women as knowledgeable farmers changed, as did the perception of household and community members; therefore, seed activities contributed to intrinsic women's empowerment.

KW - India

KW - Seed systems

KW - Self-help groups

KW - Varietal replacement

KW - Women's empowerment

U2 - 10.1016/j.gfs.2021.100522

DO - 10.1016/j.gfs.2021.100522

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85102353292

VL - 29

JO - Global Food Security

JF - Global Food Security

SN - 2211-9124

M1 - 100522

ER -

Unleashing the social capital of self-help groups for strengthening seed systems in Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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