Abstract:
Seasonality influences African informal agricultural markets,
but existing literature inadequately explores its interactions
with market actors' social relations and livelihood outcomes.
Thus, agricultural commercialisation policy ineffectively
supports such actors to manage seasonality. Across
Bamako, Ouagadougou and Tamale, we conducted interviews, focus group discussions, and a survey of farmer and
marketer profits across seasons. Hot, dry season lettuce
transactions performed by marketers are more likely to
make profit. Farmers and marketers rely on household and
community relations and reproduce gendered skills to optimise profit and secure future income streams. Policies
supporting household reproduction, and infrastructure, may
best support their marketing activity.
