IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/gender/v29y2022i5p1428-1442.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Baking injera in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Women's invisible labor in the teff value chain

Author

Listed:
  • Diede Smith
  • Marina de Regt
  • Addis Alem Tekalign

Abstract

Women play an important role in food value chain development, but their labor is often invisible in related policies. Female injera bakers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, have suffered a similar fate: their labor has been neglected in policies on improving the teff value chain. Teff is a cereal grown in Ethiopia which is used to make the countries' biggest food staple: injera. In this article we describe and analyze the labor of female injera bakers in Addis Ababa in the teff value chain, and the differences in their visibility along the lines of various identity markers. Based on mixed method research, we found that the effect of the changes in the teff value chain on female injera bakers' labor (in)visibility were most negative where certain identity markers intersect. The negative effects run along the lines of the formality of the labor, gender, class, age and health. We conclude that the Ethiopian government's neglect of female stakeholders in the teff value chain has led to the increase of existing inequalities and further marginalization of the most vulnerable women.

Suggested Citation

  • Diede Smith & Marina de Regt & Addis Alem Tekalign, 2022. "Baking injera in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Women's invisible labor in the teff value chain," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(5), pages 1428-1442, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:gender:v:29:y:2022:i:5:p:1428-1442
    DOI: 10.1111/gwao.12834
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12834
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/gwao.12834?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. David Tschirley & Thomas Reardon & Michael Dolislager & Jason Snyder, 2015. "The Rise of a Middle Class in East and Southern Africa: Implications for Food System Transformation," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(5), pages 628-646, July.
    2. Vandercasteelen, Joachim & Beyene, Seneshaw Tambru & Minten, Bart & Swinnen, Johan, 2018. "Big cities, small towns, and poor farmers: Evidence from Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 393-406.
    3. Rajendra Dhoj Joshi & Adriaan Verspoor, 2013. "Secondary Education in Ethiopia : Supporting Growth and Transformation," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 13088, December.
    4. Céline Louche & Lotte Staelens & Marijke D’Haese, 2020. "When Workplace Unionism in Global Value Chains Does Not Function Well: Exploring the Impediments," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 162(2), pages 379-398, March.
    5. Gómez, Miguel I. & Ricketts, Katie D., 2013. "Food value chain transformations in developing countries: Selected hypotheses on nutritional implications," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 139-150.
    6. World Bank, 2009. "Unleashing the Potential of Ethiopian Women : Trends and Options for Economic Empowerment," World Bank Publications - Reports 18862, The World Bank Group.
    7. Dethier, Jean-Jacques & Effenberger, Alexandra, 2012. "Agriculture and development: A brief review of the literature," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 175-205.
    8. David Tschirley & Thomas Reardon & Michael Dolislager & Jason Snyder, 2015. "The Rise of a Middle Class in East and Southern Africa: Implications for Food System Transformation," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(5), pages 628-646, July.
    9. Gómez, Miguel I. & Ricketts, Katie D., 2013. "Food value chain transformations in developing countries - Selected hypotheses on nutritional implications," ESA Working Papers 288987, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Agricultural Development Economics Division (ESA).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Delia Grace, 2015. "Food Safety in Low and Middle Income Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-18, August.
    2. Berger, Mira & van Helvoirt, Bram, 2018. "Ensuring food secure cities – Retail modernization and policy implications in Nairobi, Kenya," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 12-22.
    3. Makaiko G. Khonje & Matin Qaim, 2019. "Modernization of African Food Retailing and (Un)healthy Food Consumption," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(16), pages 1-18, August.
    4. Kilders, Valerie & Caputo, Vincenzina & Liverpool-Tasie, Lenis Saweda O., 2021. "Consumer ethnocentric behavior and food choices in developing countries: The case of Nigeria," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    5. Ochieng, D., 2018. "Supermarket Contracts, Income, and Changing Diets of Farm Households: Panel Data Evidence from Kenya," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277423, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    6. Dennis O. Ochieng, 2017. "Supermarket Contracts, Income, and Changing Diets of Farm Households: Panel Data Evidence from Kenya," GlobalFood Discussion Papers 260397, Georg-August-Universitaet Goettingen, GlobalFood, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development.
    7. Minten, Bart & Assefa, Thomas Woldu & Abebe, Girum & Engida, Ermias & Tamru, Seneshaw, 2016. "Food processing, transformation, and job creation: The case of Ethiopia’s enjera markets," ESSP working papers 96, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    8. Koen Dekeyser, 2019. "Land Investments, Food Systems Change and Democracy in Kenya and Mozambique," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(4), pages 178-189.
    9. Lutengano Mwinuka & Khamaldin Daud Mutabazi & Frieder Graef & Stefan Sieber & Jeremia Makindara & Anthony Kimaro & Götz Uckert, 2017. "Simulated willingness of farmers to adopt fertilizer micro-dosing and rainwater harvesting technologies in semi-arid and sub-humid farming systems in Tanzania," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 9(6), pages 1237-1253, December.
    10. Maria Elena Latino & Marta Menegoli & Martina De Giovanni, 2021. "Evaluating the Sustainability Dimensions in the Food Supply Chain: Literature Review and Research Routes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-25, October.
    11. Montserrat Costa-Font & Cesar Revoredo-Giha, 2019. "Introduction of New Food Products in China: Is There a Trend towards Healthier and Safer Products?," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-23, February.
    12. Marenya, P. & Kassie, M. & Teklewold, H. & Erenstein, O. & Qaim, M. & Rahut, D., 2018. "Does the adoption of maize-legume cropping diversification and modern seeds affect nutritional security in Ethiopia? Evidence from panel data analysis," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277170, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    13. Sirinya Phulkerd & Cut Novianti Rachmi & Mohd Jamil Sameeha & Elaine Q. Borazon & Anne-Marie Thow & Helen Trevena & Adila Fahmida Saptari & Yong Kang Cheah & Che Aniza Che Wel & Vanessa T. Marquez & T, 2022. "Identifying Opportunities for Strategic Policy Design to Address the Double Burden of Malnutrition through Healthier Retail Food: Protocol for South East Asia Obesogenic Food Environment (SEAOFE) Stud," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-15, January.
    14. Hichaambwa, Munguzwe & Chamberlin, Chamberlin & Kabwe, Stephen, 2015. "Is Smallholder Horticulture the Unfunded Poverty Reduction Option in Zambia? A Comparative Assessment of Welfare Effects of Participation in Horticultural and Maize Markets," Food Security Collaborative Working Papers 207022, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    15. Just Dengerink & Florentine Dirks & Eunice Likoko & Joost Guijt, 2021. "One size doesn’t fit all: regional differences in priorities for food system transformation," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(6), pages 1455-1466, December.
    16. Katharine Tröger & Margareta Amy Lelea & Brigitte Kaufmann, 2018. "The Fine Line between Trusting and Cheating: Exploring Relationships between Actors in Ugandan Pineapple Value Chains," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 30(5), pages 823-841, December.
    17. Hounsou, M & Dabade, D. Sylvain & Götz, B & Hounhouigan, MH & Honfo, GF & Albrecht, A & Kreyenschmidt, J & Hounhouigan, DJ, 2022. "Handling practices, quality and loss estimation along the value chain of waragashi, a soft cheese from Benin," African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development (AJFAND), African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development (AJFAND), vol. 22(07).
    18. Glover, Dominic & Poole, Nigel, 2019. "Principles of innovation to build nutrition-sensitive food systems in South Asia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 63-73.
    19. Matthew Kelly & Sam-ang Seubsman & Cathy Banwell & Jane Dixon & Adrian Sleigh, 2015. "Traditional, modern or mixed? Perspectives on social, economic, and health impacts of evolving food retail in Thailand," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 32(3), pages 445-460, September.
    20. Caroline Hambloch & Kai Mausch & Costanza Conti & Andy Hall, 2023. "Simple solutions for complex problems? What is missing in agriculture for nutrition interventions," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 15(2), pages 363-379, April.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:gender:v:29:y:2022:i:5:p:1428-1442. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0968-6673 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.