Women's indigenous technical knowledge and innovative solutions to problems are in evidence across the whole range of food cycle technologies. This book highlights the broad range of expertise that exists in rural areas. The book first gives a brief account of women's indigenous technical knowledge, and its extent. It goes on to explore women's role in the innovation process and how technical innovation has conventionally ignored this. This argument is illustrated through case studies and lessons; and the book ends with guidelines for development practitioners working with women.

PREFACE vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS viii
INTRODUCTION ix
1 Local technical knowledge 1
Keepers of knowledge 1
Low status of people's knowledge 1
When 'people' are 'women' 3
Why have women been ignored? 3
2 Technological change and innovation by women 5
What is innovation? 5
Why has external innovation failed? 5
Why are outsiders needed? 7
Recent attempts to support innovation by women 7
Grassroots women also innovate 8
3 Case studies 9
Section I: Women's local knowledge 10
Fermented foods in Sudan 10
Moringa oleifera seeds as natural water coagulants, Sudan 14
Fermented milk in Kenya 17
Milk production and processing in Nigeria 18
Traditional food storage in Kenya 19
Fruit preservation in Sri Lanka 20
Smoke in Sudanese women's culture 23
Potato production in the Andes 25
Section II: Women's local technological innovation 27
Cassava processing in Luwero District, Uganda 27
Nkejje fish in Lake Victoria, Uganda 30
Salt extraction in Sierra Leone 33
Women potters in Kenya 37
Survival skills of Tonga women in Zimbabwe 41
Soybean daddawa in Nigeria 45
Assmi production in Sri Lanka 46
Section III: External support to women's local technological innovation 48
Utilization of soybeans in West Africa 48
Soy mishti in Bangladesh 49
Mechanical cassava graters in Nigeria 50
vi WOMEN'S ROLES IN TECHNICAL INNOVATION
Indigenous vegetables in Kenya 52
Shea butter extraction in Ghana 55
Women's milk production in the Bolivian Andes 60
Livestock production in Peru 61
Women squash producers in Zaire 63
4 Lessons learned from the case studies 67
5 Guidelines for development practitioners 75
Appendix I: Contacts 78
Appendix II: References 84