Student Spotlight: Creating economic opportunities for women farmers in sub-Saharan Africa
Meet Bukky Makinde, a PhD candidate in the Innovation in Global Development program at the College of Global Futures. Her research, enriched by a fellowship in Uganda and an award-winning capstone project, focuses on women's empowerment in agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. Bukky's work delves into the challenges of women farmers and explores how farmer cooperatives can potentially enhance their productivity and well-being.
Please introduce yourself and tell us about your academic and professional background.
My name is Bukky Makinde. I am a PhD candidate in the Innovation in Global Development program at the College of Global Futures. I am an alumnus of The Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. There, I earned a master's degree in public service and administration with a concentration in international development. Before starting my PhD at ASU, I was a research and program aide for the Africa region at the Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture and Development at Texas A&M University. I provided expertise in inclusive agricultural development projects related to youth and gender in agriculture.
During my academic journey, I was awarded a research fellowship with an international development organization called the Field of Hope in 2022 to conduct field research in Uganda. During my master's degree program, I was awarded the prestigious James W. McGrew research capstone award associated with the American Association of Public Administrators.
What's something you learned during your professional or academic journey that surprised you or changed your perspective?
What has surprised me the most while at ASU is its reputation for providing a platform for research projects, regardless of their complexity or perceived impracticality. This experience has fundamentally shifted my outlook on life – I do not need to be afraid of my ideas. Vocalizing them is the first step towards bringing them to fruition.
What types of problems do you work on and why do you think they are important?
My work focuses on rethinking how women in sub-Saharan Africa view the concept of women’s empowerment. I closely examine the agricultural sector, access to technologies and farmer cooperatives' role in improving women’s well-being and livelihood. The agricultural sector in Sub-Saharan Africa plays a vital role in driving economic growth. But despite its importance, the sector has yet to fully harness its capacity to elevate economies and communities out of poverty.
One of the reasons for this shortfall is the unique challenges female farmers face. Women encounter multidimensional obstacles compared to their male counterparts in securing essential agricultural productive resources such as land, finance, technologies, and information – elements critical for improving agricultural productivity. Furthermore, socio-cultural factors such as intra-household relationships and political dynamics affect women’s decision-making ability. As a result, significant disparities exist between the agricultural yields of male and female farmers. This situation often leads to women's increased disempowerment and continued marginalization within the agricultural value chain.
Agricultural technologies promise to increase productivity. However, the adoption of these technologies among female farmers in sub-Saharan Africa remains minimal. My research explores farmer cooperatives' social and institutional dimensions as a bottom-up framework to promote individual and collective empowerment and productivity for female farmers. Farmer cooperatives could serve as institutions that influence women’s adoption of resources and create a platform for women to collectively pool resources together to enhance their empowerment. I investigate this argument using the case of coffee in Uganda.
How did you become involved in this work? What inspired you?
I became acquainted with this type of work during my master's program, where I co-designed a social enterprise to facilitate market access to women farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. As mentioned in the previous question, women contribute immensely to the agricultural sector but are still recorded as one of the poorest. They often work long hours on the farms in addition to taking care of their households, with little or no compensation. Numerous efforts have been made to address these disparities, with many interventions originating from Western perspectives on women's empowerment, emphasizing individuality. Although some of these initiatives have successfully improved women's status, their lack of cultural and contextual relevance often leads to unsustainability and criticism. In contrast, communities in sub-Saharan Africa prioritize collective well-being, as women’s empowerment does not often happen in isolation. Therefore, my work reframes women's empowerment to align with these communal values.
Why did you choose ASU? What impact will it have on your research?
ASU is a pioneering and unique institution that allows students to conduct transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary research. My research spans multiple social science disciplines, which is a challenge to confine to a single field. Additionally, the complexities of global development issues resist simplification, and finding a university that embraces and facilitates these diverse connections is rare. The vast wealth of resources, including various researchers, faculty and fellow students available for collaboration, have greatly enhanced my research outcomes.
How have you interacted with the Graduate College? Is there an event, initiative or funding opportunity you're excited about?
The Graduate College consistently enables student success by offering essential resources. I have greatly benefited from the PFx professional development workshops and am always excited about the speakers. Various funding opportunities, such as the travel awards, have allowed me to present my research at global development conferences. Q&A sessions have prepared me for internships and my future career. I always feel supported, knowing someone is always available to assist me!
What advice do you have for students interested in your field or higher education?
“Do it afraid" is a powerful lesson I've absorbed throughout my academic journey. Understanding that I won't always have all the answers or know every step before deciding has been liberating. Moving forward despite uncertainties is a vital step towards achieving your goals. It's important to stay adaptable and ready to adjust. Will mistakes happen? Absolutely. However, I've learned to view mistakes not as failures but as paths to avoid in the future.
Trusting in oneself is crucial; often, our ambitions lead us down the road less traveled. Venture down it anyway. The journey will require much hard work but promises profound rewards and the chance to make a meaningful impact. Lastly, show compassion to yourself always: you are at your best when you celebrate the inner you!
What are your relaxation practices to recharge during the semester?
I love taking long walks, whether in familiar spaces or unfamiliar places. One thing I do on these walks is meditate and reflect. I also volunteer at food banks and church-led and non-governmental community service programs. I love reading African literature to stay connected to my childhood memories.
What are some of your long-term professional goals?
I aspire to work at the nexus of research and policy in global development, ensuring that comprehensive, research-driven findings inform policies on women in sub-Saharan Africa.
What were you able to accomplish with funding from the Tripke Travel Grant? What would you need to do differently without the award?
In the summer of 2022, I completed fieldwork in Uganda, examining the perceived benefits of farmer cooperatives in the distribution of agricultural technologies to improve coffee production. I also studied its impact on income and desired future outcomes (to meet the needs of women farmers). The semi-structured surveys and stakeholder interviews provided insight into what the coffee farmers needed and how the government could improve support to increase production. However, this did not capture how the government envisions the role farmer cooperatives might play in the future of the coffee value chain. This required me to head back to Uganda to meet with the Uganda Coffee Development Authority leaders. Funding from the Tripke Travel Grant provided financial support to complete this and the final stages of my write-up. Without it, I would not have been able to complete my dissertation.
Learn more about the Tripke Travel Grant