Value chains and agricultural commercialization are increasingly being promoted as mechanisms for agricultural transformation, inclusive growth, and—more recently—improving food security and diets. Donors and implementers promote production of nutritious crops as a mechanism for improving the quality and diversity of diets of the rural poor. However, while there is a theoretical basis for this, there is a need for a deeper empirical understanding of how, under what circumstances, and through what pathways own-production of nutritious foods improves diets. This study examines the sociocultural drivers of gendered household decisions to produce and sell or consume nutritious crops, based on analysis of 80 in-depth interviews with women and men in three regions of Malawi. Respondents define all food crops as nutritious and marketable and emphasize maize-security over other more nutrient-dense food crops. The findings provide an in-depth understanding of diet patterns and preferences in the study population. It becomes clear that a sophisticated evaluation procedure guides household production, sale, and consumption decisions wherein a wide range of criteria are considered. In addition, insights emerge on the role of gendered structural domains in these decisions, dismissing a clear dichotomy of men’s crops and women’s crops and supporting a more nuanced and diverse view of these domains.

中文翻译：

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卖还是消费？马拉维关于作物生产、消费和销售的性别家庭决策

价值链和农业商业化越来越多地作为农业转型、包容性增长以及最近改善粮食安全和饮食的机制得到推广。捐助者和实施者促进营养作物的生产，以此作为改善农村贫困人口饮食质量和多样性的机制。然而，虽然这有理论基础，但需要更深入地了解经验，了解自产营养食品如何、在何种情况下以及通过何种途径改善饮食。本研究基于对马拉维三个地区的 80 位女性和男性的深入访谈的分析，研究了性别家庭决定生产、销售或消费营养作物的社会文化驱动因素。受访者将所有粮食作物定义为营养丰富且适销对路，并强调与其他营养更丰富的粮食作物相比，玉米的安全性。研究结果提供了对研究人群饮食模式和偏好的深入了解。很明显，复杂的评估程序指导家庭生产、销售和消费决策，其中考虑了广泛的标准。此外，关于性别结构域在这些决策中的作用的见解出现，摒弃了男性作物和女性作物的明确二分法，并支持对这些领域的更细致和多样化的看法。很明显，复杂的评估程序指导家庭生产、销售和消费决策，其中考虑了广泛的标准。此外，关于性别结构域在这些决策中的作用的见解出现，摒弃了男性作物和女性作物的明确二分法，并支持对这些领域的更细致和多样化的看法。很明显，复杂的评估程序指导家庭生产、销售和消费决策，其中考虑了广泛的标准。此外，关于性别结构域在这些决策中的作用的见解出现，摒弃了男性作物和女性作物的明确二分法，并支持对这些领域的更细致和多样化的看法。