Overview of smallholders’ local rice post-harvest activities in Benin: Gender, practices, commercialization and rice processors livelihoods

Rice is a primary food source, vital vehicle in dealing with food security and eradicating
poverty. In Benin rice is becoming increasingly important and its production and processing
tasks are divided on the basis of gender, with women being responsible for much of the
drudgery involved in processing. To have an overview of gender and socio-economic
dimensions of local rice processing in Benin, a study was conducted in the north and south of
Benin with 240 smallholder rice processors randomly selected. In addition to structured
interviews and weekly report sheets, the participatory assessment on sustainable livelihood
approach was used to appreciate the different states of their financial, social, human, natural
and physical capitals assets. Rice processors are mostly women (67% in the whole sample).
Men are more representative in white rice processing while women are more representative in
parboiled rice processing. Women rice processors have less acces to formal learning source
and have bad practices during white rice processing. The traditional rice parboiling methods
that don’t lead to good quality rice is prevalence. The main actors of local rice
commercialization are the rice producers; the bodies of the Ministry of Agriculture; Famers
Organisation and smallholder local rice processors who are generally young women. During
local rice commercialization, women are more representative in the sale without contract in
the processing village while men are more representative in the sale under a contract. The
overall state of capitals is low with better scores in human, physical and natural capitals
stocks for men and in social capital for women.