Studying pastoral womens knowledge in milk processing and marketing - for whose empowerment?

Few studies of local knowledge focus on processing and marketing of farm produce which constitute an important source of income for rural households, and especially women. The author presents a case study of milk processing and marketing by Fulani women, in which their considerable knowledge of local market conditions and innovations as well as their limited knowledge of the linkages between the local and wider national economies are highlighted. The differences between æextractiveÆ and æenrichingÆ research are drawn on to explain why the study did not lead to institutional development in dairy planning, and to discuss the ethics
of wider dissemination of research results.