Inequalities and Water Access in a Dairy Development Intervention in Rural Uganda

With the renewed focus on agricultural development programs in Sub-Saharan Africa, there has been a re-emphasis on increasing agricultural productivity. Similar to programming of the 1960s and 70s, much of the emphasis has... [ view full abstract ]

With the renewed focus on agricultural development programs in Sub-Saharan Africa, there has been a re-emphasis on increasing agricultural productivity. Similar to programming of the 1960s and 70s, much of the emphasis has been on providing newer technologies and inputs to farmers on the continent to increase productivity. This paper analyzes the unintended consequences of a dairy development program that encourages households to adopt improved dairy breeds, crossbreeds. Crossbreeds demand significantly more water than indigenous breeds and crossbreeds are considered more susceptible to disease and illness than indigenous breeds. Specifically, this paper will focus on the issue of water access and availability for rural Ugandans. Our research calls attention to the gender and socio-economic inequalities that emerge from the insertion of crossbreed dairy cattle in an environment that experiences regular periods of water scarcity. The insertion of particular types of crossbred dairy cattle also calls attention to the underlying contradictory assumption of development programming that focuses on individuals and individual households’ productivity, despite water management systems that depend upon communal cooperation.