Institute of Development Studies

Ethical Trade in African Horticulture: Gender, Rights and Participation

This project aimed to investigate ways in which codes implemented by from buyers in Europe could address the rights and needs of all workers, especially women and non-permanent workers. 

Horticulture producers in Africa are confronted with a plethora of codes from buyers in Europe. Many of these codes aim to improve the employment conditions of workers. This project aimed to investigate ways in which these codes could address the rights and needs of all workers, especially women and non-permanent workers. Participatory social auditing and multi-stakeholder participation were explored in the context of the Kenyan flower, South African fruit and Zambian vegetable and flower sectors.

• Project dates: February 2002 - February 2003
• Project status: Closed
• Funder: Department for International Development (DFID)

Researchers

• Diana Auret, DMA Consultants
• Catherine Dolan, Northeastern University
• Karin Kleinbooi, Centre for Rural Legal Studies
• Maggie Opondo, University of Nairobi
• Chosani Njobvu, University of Zambia
• Stephanie Barrientos, University of Manchester
• Anne Tallontire, University of Greenwich

• Tallontire, A, Dolan, C, Smith, S and Barrientos, S (2005) 'Reaching the Marginalised? Gender, value chains and ethical trade in African horticulture', Development in Practice 15.3-4
• Auret, D and Barrientos, S (2005) 'Participatory Social Auditing: A Practical Guide to Developing a Gender-Sensitive Approach', IDS Working Paper 237, Brighton:
• Smith, S, Auret, D, Barrientos, S, Dolan, C, Kleinbooi, K, Njobvu, C, Opondo, M and Tallontire, A (2004) 'Ethical Trade in African Horticulture: Gender, Rights and Participation', IDS Working Paper 223, Brighton: