The Sunhara India Project implemented by Agribusiness Systems International (ASI), with a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, focused on increasing rural household income for 25,000 farmers in seven districts of Uttar Pradesh by facilitating changes in the horticultural value chain. It was designed as a learning project to “showcase successful models and capture learning about enhancing access to and better use of inputs, services, and markets by small-scale producers” (ASI 2010:2). From the beginning the project set a target to ensure that women would make up 25% of the participants in project activities. The project introduced new production practices to increase productivity and new post-harvest practices to increase the value of the vegetables. It supported ways to bring input suppliers and buyers closer to the farmers, and facilitated farmers’ access to a variety of new and existing market outlets.
Cultural Practice, LLC conducted a gender impact assessment of the Sunhara India Project implemented by Agribusiness Systems International in seven districts of Uttar Pradesh State. The assessment took place between March 25 and May 30, 2013.
