Indian Farming 72 (08): 84-87; August 2022

Gender Mainstreaming through

Integrated Farming Systems: Success witnessed under
Farmer FIRST project in Uttar Pradesh
Nisha Verma, Azad Singh Panwar, Poonam Kashyap,
A K Prusty, M Shamim, C Jat, Amit Nath and U S Gautam*

ICAR-Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute, Zone III, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208 002

Gender mainstreaming through IFS is necessary not only due to the extent and importance of
their contribution but also for ensuring creation of equitable economic and social progressive
opportunities and building capacity of the large human capital (women) supporting agricultural
production, marketing and consumption. Gender mainstreaming has been identified as one of
the key strategies and accordingly several interventions have been designed as part of the project
with a view to empower women through IFS. It includes formation of women’s Self-Help Group
(SHG), processing, value-addition, trainings of farmers including women farmers, demonstration
of improved small farm tools and implements etc. that has helped farmers in improving their
livelihoods, labour productivity, family nutrition, overall social and economic empowerment.

Keywords: Equitable economics, Gender, Integrated Farming System

I CAR’s Farmer FIRST scheme was implemented by

ICAR-Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research,
Modipuram, Meerut to understand the constraints
Impact of gender responsive IFS interventions
Ensuring food and nutritional security through
gender responsive IFS interventions: Livestock
and disadvantaged situations experienced by farmers including milch animals, Nutritional kitchen gardens
including women in adopted villages of Western Plains are managed primarily by women. Gender responsive
of Uttar Pradesh. Consequently, exploring pragmatic technological interventions and capacity strengthening
solutions for leveraging IFS interventions supporting both programmes for both men and women were conducted
men and women. Gendered study on anthropometery in nutrition management of dairy animals by making
revealed wasting and undernourishment more in them aware about important role of mineral mixture
female children whereas stunting was more amongst
male children. Wasting and stunting as strong predictor
of food insecurity and food diversity respectively.
Around 90% male children and 87% of female children
<5 years of age were found stunted whereas about 13%
male children and 19% female children <5 years of age
were found wasted. Apart from that woman supply
35% of labour in crop production activities, whereas
69% of family labour in livestock production activities.
Women are either working manually or are left to
use traditional tools and procedures resulting in low
efficiency, drudgery, occupational health risks, leading
to low labour productivity and income. Illiteracy, lack
of knowledge among rural women, improper training,
and less opportunity for skill development worsen their
subdued existence. Dual purpose poultry bird for income and household nutrition

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Table 1. Effect of capacity building and gender responsive interventions on nutrient yield per capita per day

Gender responsive IFS interventions Proteins (g) Iron (mg) Calcium (mg) Folic acid(µg) Vitamin A (µg) Vitamin C (mg)

Nutritional Kitchen Gardening 16.17 5.56 338.90 281.7 6782 288.6

(Spinach, Cabbage, Carrot, Radish, (ß carotene)
Okra, Brinjal, Broccoli, Chilli)
Livestock based intervention 35.53 2.22 1509.9 80.14 2196.4 11.96
(retinol)
Potential % RDA 86.16 45.76 308.13 180.92 141.2 (ß 751
carotene) ,
366 (Retinol)

supplementation and availability of quality green fodder

which could contribute towards better livestock health
and increased milk production. Landless, marginal
farmers including women farmers were provided with
backyard poultry (Kadaknath and RIR) both dual-
purpose bird, i.e. for egg as well as meat, procured from
CPDO, Chandigarh and introduced for supplementing
their income besides nutritional improvement of family.
Similarly, women were benefitted with nutrition
awareness programmes for securing their household
nutrition supplemented with distribution and
demonstration of nutritional kitchen gardening kits.
They were motivated to utilize their home spaces for
home gardening. Updating knowledge, technological
interventions through gender response mechanism
have amplified women’s abilities to secure nutrition
and livelihoods for their families. These interventions
resulted in improved nutritional inflow into the farm
Nutritional kitchen gardening and vegetable cultivation
family (Table 1). It has been reported that gender
responsive IFS interventions potentially supplied 86.16% the project. Improved gender sensitive small farm tools/
of per capita daily requirement within the household, implements with efficient ergonomic efficiency were
45.76% iron requirement, 308.13% calcium requirement, promoted among women farm workers for different
180.92% Folic acid requirement, 377% Vitamin A agricultural and horticultural activities for drudgery
requirement and 751% Vitamin C requirement. reduction. Gender sensitive improved tools (Table 2)
Drudgery reduction, improving efficiency and gain have been demonstrated to increase their efficiency,
in labour productivity through gender sensitive tools: productivity and comfort during harvesting and
Gender inclusive capacity building of individual farmers weeding. Farmers were provided and demonstrated the
and farming community to reduce the knowledge gaps ergonomically designed instruments such as improved
through drudgery reduction module by using gender sickles for harvesting field crops, fodder crops, and
sensitive tools was planned and implemented under improved khurpi for intercultural operations.
Eight hundred farmers including women farm
Table 2. Demonstration of gender sensitive tools workers have been benefited with improved sickle
Intervention Villages Area No. of for harvesting field and fodder crops, as well as an
covered covered Households improved khurpi. Improved equipment saves time and
(ha)/ covered energy. Around 18.7% reduction in terms of time and
Animal
(No).
10.89% reduction in terms of energy has been recorded
after working with an improved sickle compared to a
Demonstration One 200 m2 140
of seedling (Bhayangi-
traditional sickle. In contrast, around 80.4% reduction in
transplanter Bhangela) time and 12.3% reduction in energy has been recorded
Demonstration of One 200 m2 140
while working with a direct seed dibbler. Gendered
direct seed dibbler (Bhayangi- labour productivity has also improved on an average to
Bhangela) the tune of 300 to 700 `/ha/yr after intervention due to
Distribution of Three 800 the use of labour and time saving improved hand tools
improved sickle for (Bhayangi- (improved sickle, improved hoe etc) in labour related
harvesting of field Bhangela, activity. While in kitchen gardening, these small scale
crops, fodder crops Sathedi,
and improved Sonta)
interventions without much addition of labour (only 3–5
khurpi additional mandays per year due to the use of improved
tools, viz. sickles, wheel hoe, hand hoe etc), significantly

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Table 3. Income generation by women’s SHG through secondary agriculture module per annum (2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21)

Secondary agricultural Module Average quantity Mean cost of Mean gross Mean net
production (kg/No.) production (`) income (`) income (`)
Processing of spices 480 38200 88800 50600
(Turmeric, coriander powder, chilli powder, ginger paste
etc.)
Processing of wheat/rice/millets 476 32230 85680 53450
(Gram flour, rice flakes, maize flour, wheat porridge,
mixed flour, pearl millet flour and biscuits, vermicelli etc.)
Processing of fruits and vegetables 525 41626 118125 76500
(Mango, lemon, chilli, aonla pickles, guava based mixed
jam, blended squash, water chestnut flour etc.)
Handicrafts, garments and masks 250 No. 28200 54300 26100
Total 1481 kg /250 No. 140256 336905 206650
Benefit : Cost ratio 2.40

helped in improving household nutrition by availing

diversified vegetables and green leafy vegetables for
household consumption through nutritional kitchen
gardening.
Mobilization and organizing: creation of and
support to self-help group: Women make invaluable
contribution to agricultural process, family income,
food security and ensuring sustainable livelihood for
the families. The initiative of creation of self-help group
of women in Satheri village (Devanjali Mahila Samuh)
under Farmer FIRST has provided a platform to women
to increase their abilities in secondary agriculture
activities as a source of income. The basic purpose of
formulation of SHGs was to financially empower the
farm women which could potentially lead to other
collective opportunities and activities, creation of assets
and control of resources by them. Other women also got
encouraged and motivated by SHGs and have used this
opportunity to learn and build their capacities. Awareness training for women farmers
The women's group were imparted different training
programmes on value-addition and processing of jam and ginger products were packed into glass bottles,
various items.The group has gained expertise in the and blended squash was packed into PET bottles.
development of different products, viz. blended squash The group also gained expertise in the processing of
(guava + orange) and mixed jam (guava + apple + spices, cereals, millets, fruits, vegetables, sugarcane
aonla + orange + persimmon) (guava + pineapple + into different value-added products, viz. turmeric,
pomegranate + apple), and ginger paste, etc. The mixed coriander, powder, chilli powder, ginger paste, gram

Marketing of different value added products through different exhibitions and Farmer Fairs by SHG

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flour, rice flakes, maize flour, wheat porridge, mixed
flour, pearl millet flour and biscuits, vermicelli, mango,
lemon, chilly, aonla pickles, guava based mixed jam,
blended squash, water chestnut flour, nutritionally
enriched jaggery production, etc. Besides that, they've
been provided knowledge and skill about packaging
various products using various packaging materials. By
selling the created items at various exhibitions, farmer
fairs, door-to-door marketing, order on phone calls, and
other venues, the organisation has obtained experience
in branding, labelling, marketing, and preserving sales
records. The group has developed 1481 kg of processed
products and 250’s of handicrafts, masks, readymade Expenditure pattern (`/annum) before and farming system
garments by selling various value-added products and interventions (Satheri village)
earned `206650 per year as net revenue. In addition, the
organization has gained experience in marketing and
keeping track of sales for developed items. The profit
margin (30%) on the sold products was split equally
among the women. Benefit : Cost ratio was observed to
be 2.40 (Table 3).

Overall impact of gender sensitive interventions on expenditure

pattern of household
Study conducted on 120 sample households from
two adopted villages, i.e. Satheri and Bhaingi-Bhanegla
out of the total 1036 households from Satheri, Bhaingi-
Bhangela and Sonta village in Muzaffarnagar where Expenditure pattern (`/annum) before and farming system
benchmark survey was carried out revealed significant interventions (Bhaingi-Bhangela village)
improvement in expenditure pattern (`/annum) before
due to increased awareness about animal health and
and farming system interventions of households due to
management practices followed for animal health.
gender sensitive intervention in farming systems mode.
Expenditure on input was also significantly reduced
The results indicated that the women invest as much
by 6000 to 7000 `/annum in both the villages due to
as 10 times more of their earnings than men do in their
awareness creation regarding the ill effects of imbalance
family’s well-being, in areas including child health,
use of fertilizers and application of integrated nutrient
education and nutrition. Women’s empowerment
and pest management practices.
thus has a direct impact on agricultural productivity
and household food security. Data shows that the
SUMMARY
expenditure on child’s education has increased by
The recognition of the need for gender mainstreaming
around 5000 `/annum in both the villages, whereas
and empowering women by leveraging male and female
food expenditure was reduced in Bhaingi-Bhangela
differences in the area of farming systems management
village due to the farming system interventions but was
and production leads to improved family nutrition,
improved in Satheri village farmers especially landless
occupational health of women, children’s education and
category (51.50%) started spending the additional
health, increased labour productivity. The effectiveness
income got through farming system interventions
and sustainability of gender responsive interventions is
into more nutritious and diversified diets. However,
crucial for their contribution in attaining the Sustainable
the share of food expenditure has been reduced by
Development Goals of gender equality, food security,
1.8% after interventions in Satheri village followed by
alleviating poverty. Apart from that equalizing access
1.5% in Bhaingi-Bhangela village due to the increasing
to farming systems productive resources through
availability of cereals, legumes, oilseeds, vegetables, milk,
eliminating male and female differences facilitates
meat through farming system interventions. Similarly,
women in achieving more power over their lives which
increased expenditure of around 1000 `/month on
can further change lives of their families and whole
human health was noticed in both the farming systems
communities. Creation of SHGs of women in villages
due to the additional income generation and awareness
through mobilizing women is the first step towards the
programmes. Apart from that, expenditure increase on
pathway of awareness generation to employment to
animal feed was not significant after interventions due
empowerment.
to steady supply of green fodder as well as awareness
regarding low-cost balanced meals using the available
feed components. In addition to the this, animal health *Corresponding author’s e-mail: director.iifsr@icar.gov.in
expenditure was observed to be significantly reduced

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