Equitable Social and Gender Environment for Freezing
The production and marketing of frozen fish offers business opportunities for both women and men. Non-gender bias policies and implementation processes are required to give equal access to productive inputs such as fish, credit, skills and knowledge, freezing and cold chain technology and market access so that both men and women are able to perform optimally in terms of producing and selling high quality, food safe frozen products and minimise food loss and waste (FLW).
Gender is important because men and women often perform different tasks within fish value chains, and have different assets, skills, experience, knowledge and decision-making roles. However, the invisibility of women’s roles in official fisheries and aquaculture statistics, coupled with the negative impacts of gender-blind policies, leave women facing discrimination and marginalization within the sector. Modern small-scale fisheries using improved technologies (such as motor engines, modern navigation and communication equipment, and processing and cold storage facilities) and meeting international food safety standards can produce high-quality, high-value products for export markets. Attention needs to be given to equal access to productivity-enhancing innovations that improve the overall productivity and quality of products.
Frozen Fish in Africa
Frozen Fish in Africa
Frozen fish is an imported into West Africa where it is an important source of livelihood for traders and processors, many of whom are women.
According to a study in Nigeria, the marketing of frozen fish is mainly carried out by females, most of the respondents are in the economically active age group and are mostly married; they have a lot of experience in the business, majority of them are retailers selling less than four cartons of fish on daily basis and most of them have formal education. From the gross margin analysis and t-test, marketing of frozen fish is profitable in the area. However, it was recommended that major constraints like poor storage/preservation, inadequate capital and marketing costs should be tackled to improve the efficiency of marketing system of frozen fish in the State. The recommendation has obvious links to FLW reduction.
Key Publications
| Good practice policies to eliminate gender inequalities in fish value chains This publication highlights key gender inequalities in fisheries and aquaculture value chains that lead to underperformance by women, and proposes good practice policies that can influence increases in production and processing of high-quality fish. |
| Informal artisanal fish trade in West Africa: Improving cross-border trade This document illustrates fish trade flows in West Africa, and includes estimates of volumes, values, key traded fish species, the main value chain actors and challenges being experienced by these actors. |
| Assessment of the Marketing of Frozen Fish (Iced Fish) in Edo State, Nigeria The study examines the marketing of frozen fish in Edo State of Nigeria, and includes primary data, findings, and recommendations to improve the efficiency of marketing system of frozen fish in the State. |
More Resources
More Resources
27 February 2024
31 October 2023
