Productive Employment in the Segmented Markets of Fresh Produce - PRESM
Consumers in Europe have learned to appreciate the quality of Kenya’s freshagricultural produceover
the last decade. The achievements of its horticulture sector, which engages over half a million
farmers,are impressive and the country’s agricultural exports have reached US$1 billion annually. This
success has been due to the emergence of modern, innovative and programmed production by farmers
that are exporting directly to high-value markets and trading companies that meet Global Good
Agricultural Practice (GlobalGAP)standards. At the same time, many smaller growers are serving the
domestic market and/or selling to collectors and middlemen that cannot, or do not want to,adhere to
global standards. The upshot of this is that the process of structural transformation is creatinga modern
(programmed) and a traditional (non-programmed) agricultural sector. How is this segmentation
impacting on ‘productive’ employment in Kenya, for example, in terms of decent income levels, income
stability, gender and working conditions? Are working conditions in the modern sector better? And what
are the prospects for youth and women?
This project is focusing on the avocado sub-sector, which nowaccounts for nearly two-thirds of Kenya’s
fresh-fruit exports. Growing avocados that can be exported to GlobalGAP standards requires high-level
skills, and growth in the modern and traditional segments of this sector has thus differed substantially.
At the same time, however, international competition is emerging on the world market for avocados
and one of the new competitors, namely Peru,will be studiedfor comparative purposes.
The projectis usinga mixed-methodsapproach including systematic review and expert interviews. This
will complement new and important primary data that will be collected by means of two surveys (an
avocado growers’ survey and a farmworkers’ survey) in an attempt to reach the main local stakeholders.
Aparticipatory workplace appraisal (through focus groups) may also be included. The effect of selected
interventions on productive employment will be evaluated.
Knowledge sharing will take place at kick-off and final review workshops and through the Partnership for
Economic Policy network with newsletters, video clips and policy briefs: www.pep-net.org.
Main research questions
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What characterizes employment in the segmented labour
market of fresh produce in Kenya?
How does the nature of productive employment vary in
the programmed and non-programmed worlds in the
avocado sector?
What interlinkagesare there between the programmed
and non-programmed worlds in the avocado sector?
How do policies and practices affect the generation of
productive employment, especially for smallholder
farmers, women and youth in Kenya?
What can be learned from Peru’s recent export success in
the avocado market regarding enhanced opportunities for
Consortium
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Country focus
Thematic focus
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inclusive growth and productive employment?
Dr B. Shiferaw,Partnership for Economic Policy, Nairobi
Dr Remco Oostendorp, VU University Amsterdam
Dr Menno Pradhan, Amsterdam Institute for International
Development
Prof. Jane Mariara, University of Nairobi
Anthony Mutiso, Fresh-Produce and Exporters Association
of Kenya
Dr Ricardo Fort, Grupo de Analisis para Desarrollo
(GRADE), Peru
Kenya
Peru (for comparative purposes)
Productive employment