In Nicaragua, gender analysis in value chains is usually restricted to a study of men and women as producers or workers within the chain itself. This overlooks many relevant dimensions of gender struggles. We therefore propose a gender analysis in value chains that pays attention to the interrelation of the value chain with intra-household dynamics in microenterprises and the broader community. We apply our approach to two dairy chains, not to compare which is better for women producers but to show the gender complexity in both that needs to be considered in value chain analyses. Based on case studies, we identify gender differentiation overlapping with conflictual-cooperative relations between men and women within the sphere of economic and family relations in the two dairy chains.

Agarwal, B. (1997) ‘Bargaining and gender relations within and beyond the household’, Feminist Economics 3(1): 1–51.

Ammour, T. (2009) Acceso a mercados de pequeños productores en América Latina. Estudio de caso de la leche en la Cooperativa San José (CASANJO) Matagalpa, Nicaragua [online] <http://nuevo.rimisp.org/FCKeditor/UserFiles/File/documentos/docs/> [webpage no longer available].

Artola, N. and Parrilli, M. (2003) El despegue del sector lácteo in Boaco y Chontales en Nicaragua, Managua: Agorà, 2000 mimeo for IDB.

Benería, L. (2008) ‘De la armonía a los conflictos cooperativos. La contribución de Amartya Sen a la teoría de la unidad doméstica’, Araucaria, Revista Iberoamericana de Filosofía, Política y Humanidades 20: 15–34.

Bourdieu, P. (1998) Practical Reason, on the theory of action, Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

Carswell, G. and De Neve, G. (2012) ‘Labouring for global markets: conceptualising labour agency in global production networks’, Geoforum 44: 62–70 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2012.06.008>.

Coles, C. and Mitchell, J. (2011) Gender and Agricultural Value Chains: A Review of Current Knowledge and Practices and their Political Implications [online], ESA Working paper No.11-05, FAO <http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/am310e/am310e00.pdf> [accessed 1 March 2017].

Crenshaw, K. (1991) ‘Mapping the margins, intersectionality, identity politics and violence against women of color’, Stanford Law Review 43(6): 1241–99.

Davids, T. and van Driel, F. (2007) The Gender Question in Globalization: Changes, Perspectives and Practices, Aldershot, UK: Ashgate.

Eskola, E. (2003) Rural Development Cooperation: Learning from Finland’s International Projects and Programs, Helsinki: Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.

Flores, S. (2015) Gender Dynamics in Dairy Value Chains in Nicaragua: Current Practices, Changes and Challenges, doctoral dissertation, Antwerp: IOB-Universiteit Antwerpen.

Flores, S. and Artola, N. (2004) ‘La cadena de lácteos en Nicaragua, estudio de caso’, in F.J. Smith (ed.), Las cadenas de valor en Nicaragua: quequisque, forestal, lácteos, tres estudios de casos, Managua: UNIFEM-PNUD.

Flores, S. and Lindo, P. (2006) Pautas conceptuales y metodológicas para el análisis de género en cadenas de valor, Managua: UNIFEM.

Flores, S. et al. (2011) La Cadena de los lácteos y su interacción con la dinámica de género en Matiguas, Managua: Cuaderno de Investigación No. 39 Nitlapan-UCA.

Gardiner, K.J. (1995) Provoking Agents, Gender and Agency in Theory and Practice, Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press.

Gereffi, G. and Korzeniewicz, M. (1994) Commodity Chains and Global Capitalism, Westport, CT: Praeger.

Kaplinsky, R. and Morris, M. (2001) A Handbook for Value Chain Research [online], IDRC <www.ids.ac.uk/ids/global/pdfs/VchNov01.pdf> [accessed 11 November 2016].

KIT, AgriProFocus and ILRR (2012) Challenging Chains to Change: Gender Equity in Agricultural Value Chain Development, Amsterdam: KIT Publishers, Royal Tropical Institute.

Lyon, S., Aranda, J. and Mutersbaugh, T. (2010) ‘Gender equity in fair trade – organic coffee producer organizations: case from Mesoamerica’, Geoforum 41(1): 93–103 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2009.04.006>.

McCall, L. (2005) ‘The complexity of intersectionality’, Journal of Women in Culture and Society 30(3): 1771–800.

Macleod, A. (1993) Accommodating Protest: Working Women, the New Veiling, and Change in Cairo, New York: Columbia University Press.

Mayoux, L. and Mackie, G. (2007) Making the Strongest Links, a Practical Guide to Mainstreaming Gender Analysis in Value Chain Development, Addis Ababa: International Labor Office (ILO).

Messer, E. (1995) ‘Acting otherwise’, in K.J. Gardiner (ed.), Provoking Agents, Gender and Agency in Theory and Practice, pp. 23–51, Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press.

Pietrobelli, C. and Rabellotti, R. (2004) Upgrading in Clusters and Value Chains in Latin America: The Role of Policies, Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank.

Sender, A., Lentink, A., Vanderschaeghe, M. and Terrillon, J. (2014) Gender in Value Chains, Practical Toolkit to Integrate a Gender Perspective in Agricultural Value Chain Development [online], Agri-Profocus <http://agriprofocus.com/upload/ToolkitENGender_in_Value_ChainsJan2014compressed14152032301426607515.pdf> [accessed 15 November 2016].

Tallontire, A., Dolan, C., Smith, S. and Barrientos, S. (2005) ‘Reaching marginalised? Gender value chains and ethical trade in African horticulture’, Development in Practice 15(3–4): 559–71 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09614520500075771>.

Turner, L. (2006) ‘Finding a niche within a niche: discover an even more distinct market and then capitalize on it’, Black Enterprise 36(7): 93.

Villarreal, M. (1992) ‘The poverty of practice: power, gender and intervention from an actor-oriented perspective’, in N. Long and A. Long (eds), Battlefields of Knowledge: The Interlocking of Theory and Practice in Social Research and Development, pp. 247–67, London: Routledge.

Agarwal, B. (1997) ‘Bargaining and gender relations within and beyond the household’, Feminist Economics 3(1): 1–51.

Ammour, T. (2009) Acceso a mercados de pequeños productores en América Latina. Estudio de caso de la leche en la Cooperativa San José (CASANJO) Matagalpa, Nicaragua [online] <http://nuevo.rimisp.org/FCKeditor/UserFiles/File/documentos/docs/> [webpage no longer available].

Artola, N. and Parrilli, M. (2003) El despegue del sector lácteo in Boaco y Chontales en Nicaragua, Managua: Agorà, 2000 mimeo for IDB.

Benería, L. (2008) ‘De la armonía a los conflictos cooperativos. La contribución de Amartya Sen a la teoría de la unidad doméstica’, Araucaria, Revista Iberoamericana de Filosofía, Política y Humanidades 20: 15–34.

Bourdieu, P. (1998) Practical Reason, on the theory of action, Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

Carswell, G. and De Neve, G. (2012) ‘Labouring for global markets: conceptualising labour agency in global production networks’, Geoforum 44: 62–70 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2012.06.008>.

Coles, C. and Mitchell, J. (2011) Gender and Agricultural Value Chains: A Review of Current Knowledge and Practices and their Political Implications [online], ESA Working paper No.11-05, FAO <http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/am310e/am310e00.pdf> [accessed 1 March 2017].

Crenshaw, K. (1991) ‘Mapping the margins, intersectionality, identity politics and violence against women of color’, Stanford Law Review 43(6): 1241–99.

Davids, T. and van Driel, F. (2007) The Gender Question in Globalization: Changes, Perspectives and Practices, Aldershot, UK: Ashgate.

Eskola, E. (2003) Rural Development Cooperation: Learning from Finland’s International Projects and Programs, Helsinki: Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.

Flores, S. (2015) Gender Dynamics in Dairy Value Chains in Nicaragua: Current Practices, Changes and Challenges, doctoral dissertation, Antwerp: IOB-Universiteit Antwerpen.

Flores, S. and Artola, N. (2004) ‘La cadena de lácteos en Nicaragua, estudio de caso’, in F.J. Smith (ed.), Las cadenas de valor en Nicaragua: quequisque, forestal, lácteos, tres estudios de casos, Managua: UNIFEM-PNUD.

Flores, S. and Lindo, P. (2006) Pautas conceptuales y metodológicas para el análisis de género en cadenas de valor, Managua: UNIFEM.

Flores, S. et al. (2011) La Cadena de los lácteos y su interacción con la dinámica de género en Matiguas, Managua: Cuaderno de Investigación No. 39 Nitlapan-UCA.

Gardiner, K.J. (1995) Provoking Agents, Gender and Agency in Theory and Practice, Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press.

Gereffi, G. and Korzeniewicz, M. (1994) Commodity Chains and Global Capitalism, Westport, CT: Praeger.

Kaplinsky, R. and Morris, M. (2001) A Handbook for Value Chain Research [online], IDRC <www.ids.ac.uk/ids/global/pdfs/VchNov01.pdf> [accessed 11 November 2016].

KIT, AgriProFocus and ILRR (2012) Challenging Chains to Change: Gender Equity in Agricultural Value Chain Development, Amsterdam: KIT Publishers, Royal Tropical Institute.

Lyon, S., Aranda, J. and Mutersbaugh, T. (2010) ‘Gender equity in fair trade – organic coffee producer organizations: case from Mesoamerica’, Geoforum 41(1): 93–103 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2009.04.006>.

McCall, L. (2005) ‘The complexity of intersectionality’, Journal of Women in Culture and Society 30(3): 1771–800.

Macleod, A. (1993) Accommodating Protest: Working Women, the New Veiling, and Change in Cairo, New York: Columbia University Press.

Mayoux, L. and Mackie, G. (2007) Making the Strongest Links, a Practical Guide to Mainstreaming Gender Analysis in Value Chain Development, Addis Ababa: International Labor Office (ILO).

Messer, E. (1995) ‘Acting otherwise’, in K.J. Gardiner (ed.), Provoking Agents, Gender and Agency in Theory and Practice, pp. 23–51, Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press.

Pietrobelli, C. and Rabellotti, R. (2004) Upgrading in Clusters and Value Chains in Latin America: The Role of Policies, Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank.

Sender, A., Lentink, A., Vanderschaeghe, M. and Terrillon, J. (2014) Gender in Value Chains, Practical Toolkit to Integrate a Gender Perspective in Agricultural Value Chain Development [online], Agri-Profocus <http://agriprofocus.com/upload/ToolkitENGender_in_Value_ChainsJan2014compressed14152032301426607515.pdf> [accessed 15 November 2016].

Tallontire, A., Dolan, C., Smith, S. and Barrientos, S. (2005) ‘Reaching marginalised? Gender value chains and ethical trade in African horticulture’, Development in Practice 15(3–4): 559–71 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09614520500075771>.

Turner, L. (2006) ‘Finding a niche within a niche: discover an even more distinct market and then capitalize on it’, Black Enterprise 36(7): 93.

Villarreal, M. (1992) ‘The poverty of practice: power, gender and intervention from an actor-oriented perspective’, in N. Long and A. Long (eds), Battlefields of Knowledge: The Interlocking of Theory and Practice in Social Research and Development, pp. 247–67, London: Routledge.

Agarwal, B. (1997) ‘Bargaining and gender relations within and beyond the household’, Feminist Economics 3(1): 1–51.

Ammour, T. (2009) Acceso a mercados de pequeños productores en América Latina. Estudio de caso de la leche en la Cooperativa San José (CASANJO) Matagalpa, Nicaragua [online] <http://nuevo.rimisp.org/FCKeditor/UserFiles/File/documentos/docs/> [webpage no longer available].

Artola, N. and Parrilli, M. (2003) El despegue del sector lácteo in Boaco y Chontales en Nicaragua, Managua: Agorà, 2000 mimeo for IDB.

Benería, L. (2008) ‘De la armonía a los conflictos cooperativos. La contribución de Amartya Sen a la teoría de la unidad doméstica’, Araucaria, Revista Iberoamericana de Filosofía, Política y Humanidades 20: 15–34.

Bourdieu, P. (1998) Practical Reason, on the theory of action, Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

Carswell, G. and De Neve, G. (2012) ‘Labouring for global markets: conceptualising labour agency in global production networks’, Geoforum 44: 62–70 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2012.06.008>.

Coles, C. and Mitchell, J. (2011) Gender and Agricultural Value Chains: A Review of Current Knowledge and Practices and their Political Implications [online], ESA Working paper No.11-05, FAO <http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/am310e/am310e00.pdf> [accessed 1 March 2017].

Crenshaw, K. (1991) ‘Mapping the margins, intersectionality, identity politics and violence against women of color’, Stanford Law Review 43(6): 1241–99.

Davids, T. and van Driel, F. (2007) The Gender Question in Globalization: Changes, Perspectives and Practices, Aldershot, UK: Ashgate.

Eskola, E. (2003) Rural Development Cooperation: Learning from Finland’s International Projects and Programs, Helsinki: Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.

Flores, S. (2015) Gender Dynamics in Dairy Value Chains in Nicaragua: Current Practices, Changes and Challenges, doctoral dissertation, Antwerp: IOB-Universiteit Antwerpen.

Flores, S. and Artola, N. (2004) ‘La cadena de lácteos en Nicaragua, estudio de caso’, in F.J. Smith (ed.), Las cadenas de valor en Nicaragua: quequisque, forestal, lácteos, tres estudios de casos, Managua: UNIFEM-PNUD.

Flores, S. and Lindo, P. (2006) Pautas conceptuales y metodológicas para el análisis de género en cadenas de valor, Managua: UNIFEM.

Flores, S. et al. (2011) La Cadena de los lácteos y su interacción con la dinámica de género en Matiguas, Managua: Cuaderno de Investigación No. 39 Nitlapan-UCA.

Gardiner, K.J. (1995) Provoking Agents, Gender and Agency in Theory and Practice, Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press.

Gereffi, G. and Korzeniewicz, M. (1994) Commodity Chains and Global Capitalism, Westport, CT: Praeger.

Kaplinsky, R. and Morris, M. (2001) A Handbook for Value Chain Research [online], IDRC <www.ids.ac.uk/ids/global/pdfs/VchNov01.pdf> [accessed 11 November 2016].

KIT, AgriProFocus and ILRR (2012) Challenging Chains to Change: Gender Equity in Agricultural Value Chain Development, Amsterdam: KIT Publishers, Royal Tropical Institute.

Lyon, S., Aranda, J. and Mutersbaugh, T. (2010) ‘Gender equity in fair trade – organic coffee producer organizations: case from Mesoamerica’, Geoforum 41(1): 93–103 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2009.04.006>.

McCall, L. (2005) ‘The complexity of intersectionality’, Journal of Women in Culture and Society 30(3): 1771–800.

Macleod, A. (1993) Accommodating Protest: Working Women, the New Veiling, and Change in Cairo, New York: Columbia University Press.

Mayoux, L. and Mackie, G. (2007) Making the Strongest Links, a Practical Guide to Mainstreaming Gender Analysis in Value Chain Development, Addis Ababa: International Labor Office (ILO).

Messer, E. (1995) ‘Acting otherwise’, in K.J. Gardiner (ed.), Provoking Agents, Gender and Agency in Theory and Practice, pp. 23–51, Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press.

Pietrobelli, C. and Rabellotti, R. (2004) Upgrading in Clusters and Value Chains in Latin America: The Role of Policies, Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank.

Sender, A., Lentink, A., Vanderschaeghe, M. and Terrillon, J. (2014) Gender in Value Chains, Practical Toolkit to Integrate a Gender Perspective in Agricultural Value Chain Development [online], Agri-Profocus <http://agriprofocus.com/upload/ToolkitENGender_in_Value_ChainsJan2014compressed14152032301426607515.pdf> [accessed 15 November 2016].

Tallontire, A., Dolan, C., Smith, S. and Barrientos, S. (2005) ‘Reaching marginalised? Gender value chains and ethical trade in African horticulture’, Development in Practice 15(3–4): 559–71 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09614520500075771>.

Turner, L. (2006) ‘Finding a niche within a niche: discover an even more distinct market and then capitalize on it’, Black Enterprise 36(7): 93.

Villarreal, M. (1992) ‘The poverty of practice: power, gender and intervention from an actor-oriented perspective’, in N. Long and A. Long (eds), Battlefields of Knowledge: The Interlocking of Theory and Practice in Social Research and Development, pp. 247–67, London: Routledge.

Agarwal, B. (1997) ‘Bargaining and gender relations within and beyond the household’, Feminist Economics 3(1): 1–51.

Ammour, T. (2009) Acceso a mercados de pequeños productores en América Latina. Estudio de caso de la leche en la Cooperativa San José (CASANJO) Matagalpa, Nicaragua [online] <http://nuevo.rimisp.org/FCKeditor/UserFiles/File/documentos/docs/> [webpage no longer available].

Artola, N. and Parrilli, M. (2003) El despegue del sector lácteo in Boaco y Chontales en Nicaragua, Managua: Agorà, 2000 mimeo for IDB.

Benería, L. (2008) ‘De la armonía a los conflictos cooperativos. La contribución de Amartya Sen a la teoría de la unidad doméstica’, Araucaria, Revista Iberoamericana de Filosofía, Política y Humanidades 20: 15–34.

Bourdieu, P. (1998) Practical Reason, on the theory of action, Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

Carswell, G. and De Neve, G. (2012) ‘Labouring for global markets: conceptualising labour agency in global production networks’, Geoforum 44: 62–70 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2012.06.008>.

Coles, C. and Mitchell, J. (2011) Gender and Agricultural Value Chains: A Review of Current Knowledge and Practices and their Political Implications [online], ESA Working paper No.11-05, FAO <http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/am310e/am310e00.pdf> [accessed 1 March 2017].

Crenshaw, K. (1991) ‘Mapping the margins, intersectionality, identity politics and violence against women of color’, Stanford Law Review 43(6): 1241–99.

Davids, T. and van Driel, F. (2007) The Gender Question in Globalization: Changes, Perspectives and Practices, Aldershot, UK: Ashgate.

Eskola, E. (2003) Rural Development Cooperation: Learning from Finland’s International Projects and Programs, Helsinki: Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.

Flores, S. (2015) Gender Dynamics in Dairy Value Chains in Nicaragua: Current Practices, Changes and Challenges, doctoral dissertation, Antwerp: IOB-Universiteit Antwerpen.

Flores, S. and Artola, N. (2004) ‘La cadena de lácteos en Nicaragua, estudio de caso’, in F.J. Smith (ed.), Las cadenas de valor en Nicaragua: quequisque, forestal, lácteos, tres estudios de casos, Managua: UNIFEM-PNUD.

Flores, S. and Lindo, P. (2006) Pautas conceptuales y metodológicas para el análisis de género en cadenas de valor, Managua: UNIFEM.

Flores, S. et al. (2011) La Cadena de los lácteos y su interacción con la dinámica de género en Matiguas, Managua: Cuaderno de Investigación No. 39 Nitlapan-UCA.

Gardiner, K.J. (1995) Provoking Agents, Gender and Agency in Theory and Practice, Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press.

Gereffi, G. and Korzeniewicz, M. (1994) Commodity Chains and Global Capitalism, Westport, CT: Praeger.

Kaplinsky, R. and Morris, M. (2001) A Handbook for Value Chain Research [online], IDRC <www.ids.ac.uk/ids/global/pdfs/VchNov01.pdf> [accessed 11 November 2016].

KIT, AgriProFocus and ILRR (2012) Challenging Chains to Change: Gender Equity in Agricultural Value Chain Development, Amsterdam: KIT Publishers, Royal Tropical Institute.

Lyon, S., Aranda, J. and Mutersbaugh, T. (2010) ‘Gender equity in fair trade – organic coffee producer organizations: case from Mesoamerica’, Geoforum 41(1): 93–103 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2009.04.006>.

McCall, L. (2005) ‘The complexity of intersectionality’, Journal of Women in Culture and Society 30(3): 1771–800.

Macleod, A. (1993) Accommodating Protest: Working Women, the New Veiling, and Change in Cairo, New York: Columbia University Press.

Mayoux, L. and Mackie, G. (2007) Making the Strongest Links, a Practical Guide to Mainstreaming Gender Analysis in Value Chain Development, Addis Ababa: International Labor Office (ILO).

Messer, E. (1995) ‘Acting otherwise’, in K.J. Gardiner (ed.), Provoking Agents, Gender and Agency in Theory and Practice, pp. 23–51, Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press.

Pietrobelli, C. and Rabellotti, R. (2004) Upgrading in Clusters and Value Chains in Latin America: The Role of Policies, Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank.

Sender, A., Lentink, A., Vanderschaeghe, M. and Terrillon, J. (2014) Gender in Value Chains, Practical Toolkit to Integrate a Gender Perspective in Agricultural Value Chain Development [online], Agri-Profocus <http://agriprofocus.com/upload/ToolkitENGender_in_Value_ChainsJan2014compressed14152032301426607515.pdf> [accessed 15 November 2016].

Tallontire, A., Dolan, C., Smith, S. and Barrientos, S. (2005) ‘Reaching marginalised? Gender value chains and ethical trade in African horticulture’, Development in Practice 15(3–4): 559–71 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09614520500075771>.

Turner, L. (2006) ‘Finding a niche within a niche: discover an even more distinct market and then capitalize on it’, Black Enterprise 36(7): 93.

Villarreal, M. (1992) ‘The poverty of practice: power, gender and intervention from an actor-oriented perspective’, in N. Long and A. Long (eds), Battlefields of Knowledge: The Interlocking of Theory and Practice in Social Research and Development, pp. 247–67, London: Routledge.