An integrated multidisciplinary approach to developing value-added products: a case study of mango pickle production and marketing by women in a poor rural village

Developing, producing and marketing value-added horticultural products in poor rural villages in developing countries can improve local livelihoods but presents significant challenges across three distinctly different fields NDASH product development, marketing, and community development. This paper reports a pilot-scale example of value-added mango products produced and marketed by women in a poor village in Sindh, Pakistan. The research approach adopts a value-chain perspective to first identify market opportunities, then consider processing requirements, and finally determine how a village can organise resources to produce and market the product. In this case study, 12 women produced more than 500 kg mango pickles from low-grade and waste fruit, generating US$ 350 in income. Lessons for other villages are suggested.