Gender trait preferences among smallholder cowpea farmers in northern Ghana: lessons from a case study

Jinbaani, Alhassan Nuhu; Owusu, Emmanuel Yaw; Mohammed, Abdul-Razak; Tengey, Theophilus Kwabla; Mawunya, Michael; Kusi, Francis; Mohammed, Haruna

doi:10.3389/fsoc.2023.1260407

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 38 publications

(52 reference statements)

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“…There are efforts in plant breeding to collect gender-sensitive data and understand how and when gender differentiated research on plant traits is necessary. Commonly, trait preference studies use direct ranking (Jinbaani et al, 2023) or choice experiments (Waldman et al, 2014) but these methods give little attention to the social structures and roles and responsibilities within households that shape those preferences (Teeken et al, 2021). Furthermore, a recent review of gender and plant breeding research showed that even when genderdifferentiated data were collected for assessing farmers' preferences for plant traits, gender differentiated analyses were rare (Weltzien et al, 2019a).…”

Section: Gender In Plant Breedingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increasing sorghum yields for smallholder farmers in Mali: the evolution towards a context-driven, on-farm, gender-responsive sorghum breeding program

Isaacs,

Weltzien,

Some

et al. 2024

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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This case study explores a decades long evolution towards a gender-responsive sorghum breeding program in Mali. With known disparities in men and women’s access to the resources that improve agricultural productivity and evidence that gender roles and responsibilities shape knowledge and preferences about varieties, there is need for methods that support gender-responsive processes in plant breeding programs. Gender-sensitive and gender-responsive approaches in plant breeding may increase varietal options available to diverse end-users, increase adoption, and limit negative impacts on vulnerable populations. We assess a participatory plant breeding program in Mali to identify determinants of gender-responsive breeding programs. The analysis uses a case study methodology that draws upon project reports, theses, articles, and experiential knowledge to understand how the sorghum breeding program transitioned over time. This case study details (a) more than a decade of sorghum breeding activities and research that led to (b) the inclusion of women in participatory plant breeding, culinary tests, and large-scale participatory selection in on-farm trials, reaching hundreds of women each year and (c) iterative co-learning processes to develop preferred sorghum varieties and increase sorghum yields on men and women’s fields. Analyses indicated that collaborations among many institutions on-farm with community actors, research across various disciplines such as agronomy and social sciences, context-specific breeding, and long-term funding were essential to increasing gender sensitivity and responsive in the breeding efforts.

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Section: Gender In Plant Breedingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increasing sorghum yields for smallholder farmers in Mali: the evolution towards a context-driven, on-farm, gender-responsive sorghum breeding program

Isaacs,

Weltzien,

Some

et al. 2024

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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A gendered assessment of crop traits to improve breeding product design and uptake: the case of potato in Kenya

Mwende Mutiso,

Mayanja,

Nyaga

et al. 2024

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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The study assesses the gender implications of a target product profile for table potato in Kenya. Breeding programs mostly emphasize farmers’ trait requirements and rarely pay attention to other value chain actors’ preferences. This partially contributes to the low uptake of improved varieties. Therefore, efforts are required to assess the gender implications of crop product profile proposals during development, testing, and dissemination. In this paper, we assess the gender implications of traits targeted by a potato breeding program in Kenya using the G+ tools. The study applies the G+ product profile tool to examine the instances the selected traits may exacerbate gender disparity along four domains: unpaid labor, access to employment opportunities, requiring extra inputs and control over benefits. We use mixed methods including a review by social scientists, key informant interviews and a multistakeholder workshop to gather insights from female and male farmers, breeders, and other stakeholders. Findings show that pest, disease resistance, and shelf-life traits benefit women and men in the target customer segments. On the other hand, earliness, dry matter, and yield could increase drudgery for women. The traits increase demand for women’s unpaid labor during harvesting, sorting and food preparation time while also displacing women from profitable nodes. We recommend that gender-responsive strategies accompany the release of the target variety to mitigate inequities and enhance adoption.

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Gender trait preferences among smallholder cowpea farmers in northern Ghana: lessons from a case study

Cited by 2 publications

References 38 publications

Increasing sorghum yields for smallholder farmers in Mali: the evolution towards a context-driven, on-farm, gender-responsive sorghum breeding program

Increasing sorghum yields for smallholder farmers in Mali: the evolution towards a context-driven, on-farm, gender-responsive sorghum breeding program

A gendered assessment of crop traits to improve breeding product design and uptake: the case of potato in Kenya

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