KUALA LUMPUR: Khazanah Research Institute's (KRI) latest report on agrifood smallholders found a need for gender-responsive approaches to help women disadvantaged by gender gaps.
There is potential for a vibrant agropreneur-centric sector in Malaysia, but challenges persist, particularly in Sabah and Sarawak, necessitating greater policy initiatives to improve their socioeconomic status and food production capacity.
The report named "Understanding the Landscape of Agrifood Smallholders in Malaysia: Climate Risks, Sustainable Standards, and Gender Gap" is based on the data obtained from the SEMAI smallholders survey funded by Khazanah Nasional Bhd and conducted in collaboration with KRI and Think City.
It surveyed 3,300 agrifood smallholders nationwide, comprising three key subsectors, namely crops, aquaculture, and livestock.
The findings of the report revealed the need for gender-responsive approaches to cultivate a more equitable environment for everyone in the agrifood sector, particularly for women who are more likely to be disadvantaged by gender gaps.
KRI suggested several policy recommendations in the report, including the introduction of tailored training.
This would involve tailoring the timing, duration, location, and content of training to match the practical needs and skill gaps of smallholders.
Additionally, providing group training with a hands-on approach and shorter duration in a casual setting to increase the participation of women smallholders.
KRI emphasised the importance of connecting smallholders to additional sales channels, suggesting the exploration of sales platforms that link them with consistent buyers.
It said this could be achieved through mechanisms such as contract farming and public-private-partnership (PPP) initiatives.
Meanwhile, KRI also recommended providing gender-sensitive contract farming opportunities by conducting gender-specific assessments of smallholders before engagement.
It said this would help identify gaps and enable tailored support to encourage greater participation of women in contract farming.
Furthermore, KRI proposed conducting gender-sensitive impact assessments, disaggregating the assessment of agricultural policies and initiatives by sex, location, and socioeconomic strata to accurately evaluate equity.