Meghan Grever, 29 December 2020

The need to strengthen food production and distribution systems to fight hunger and reduce food loss and waste is not a new concept. Efforts have long been underway to promote sustainable food systems which deliver quality food and nutrition for all, in ways that support economic development, deliver positive social outcomes, and protect the natural environment. Although progress has been made in identifying the direct causes of fish losses and quantifying their magnitude, loss reduction strategies have historically focused on technological solutions, overlooking the gender relations that are a primary factor in the social and economic context which shape the functioning of fisheries value chains at all levels. As the food system continues to evolve, it is essential that a gender lens is considered.

It is estimated the 35 percent of the global harvest in fisheries and aquaculture is either lost or wasted every year. In terms or fish, food loss leads to a reduction in nutritional and economic value, and can potentially result in food safety issues, ultimately impacting food security, livelihoods, and the environment. Wastage rates have been estimated to be highest in North America and Oceania, where about half of all fish caught is wasted at the consumption stage. In Africa and Latin America, fish is mainly lost due to inadequate preservation infrastructure and expertise.

Women make up about 47 percent of those involved in small-scale capture fisheries, and account for around 56 million jobs along the fisheries supply chain, mostly in activities like processing and fish trade. They are, however, mainly concentrated in the low paid or low skilled roles, and are excluded from the most remunerative markets and business opportunities. They have limited control over the income generated by their work, and their overall contribution often remains unrecognized as it is considered a domestic task or an extension of household work.

In African fisheries value chains, the link between gender and food loss has not received a great deal of attention, however it is clear that the link exists. In some cases, women own boats and finance fishing operations that employ men and in other cases they conduct their own fishing. But in the majority of cases, women face inequalities in terms of accessing resources, services, employment opportunities, taking part in decision-making, and more.

In Zambia, for example, there is typically a gendered division of labor, where men conduct fishing activities, and women take ownership of fish processing. As this work usually takes place close to home, the women are often overburdened to attend to both processing activities in addition to domestic work, and experience three times more product loss than men. This can also be seen in Egypt, where women tend to discard their fish much earlier than men in order to take care of family responsibilities, therefore resulting in both a food and financial loss. Because of gender inequalities, in Malawi, women lack access to finance, and struggle to access technology to efficiently sun-dry their fish. Cross-border trade is noted as an issue in Mozambique, where women are often unable to pay for permits or border tolls, and therefore cannot access more lucrative markets in which to sell their product.

Although progress has been made to identify the direct causes of fish losses and quantify their magnitude, loss reduction strategies have tended to focus on technological solutions while overlooking gender relations in the context of fisheries value chains. However, the importance of gender equality, and the role of women in the post-harvest sector is gaining traction. For example, the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) devotes a specific chapter to gender. The guidelines call for policies and legislation that support equality, and stress the need for equal participation of women and men in decision-making processes and equal access to appropriate technologies and support services.

Integrating gender equality concerns when analyzing causes and developing solutions to food loss will greatly contribute to the design and implementation of successful loss reduction interventions and strategies. Tackling gender inequality and its relationship with food loss in fish value chains is a development priority and requires a multi-stakeholder approach, involving small-scale value chain actors, development partners and all those who can make a difference.

Going forward, women in fisheries need to be seen and acknowledged. Interventions should promote equal rights and equal access to credit and technology, and equality in decision-making. Last but not least, gender equality and its links to food loss and waste need to be better reflected in policy processes, if we are to see solutions having an impact on food security and livelihoods.

Find more on gender equity in the fish value chain here.