Stressors and Resilience within the Cassava Value Chain in Nigeria: Preferred Cassava Variety Traits and Response Strategies of Men and Women to Inform Breeding

Abstract

This study investigated the trait preferences for cassava in the context of climate change and conflict stressors among value-chain actors in Nigeria to strengthen social inclusion and the community-resilience outcomes from breeding programs. Multi-stage sampling procedures were used to select and interview male and female value-chain participants in the Osun, Benue and Abia States. The results indicated that farmers preferred cassava traits such as drought tolerance, early bulking, multiple-product use and in-ground storability to strengthen resilience. Climate change and challenges related to social change shaped the response strategies from both genders, and influenced trait preferences, including the early re-emergence of cassava leaves, stems that had ratooning potential, and especially the root milking that was important among female respondents. The major response strategies employed by men included frequent farm visits to prevent theft and engaging in non-agricultural livelihoods. Those employed by women included backyard farming, early harvesting, having preferences for food with fewer processing steps, and depending on remittances. The resilience capacity was higher for men than for women due to their better access to assets, as well as their abilities to relocate their farms and out-migrate in search of other livelihoods. Considering gendered cassava traits, and enhancing their resilience and response strategies, can complement efforts to make breeding more socially inclusive, resilient, and anticipatory to future challenges created by climate and related social changes.

Drivers of consumer acceptability of cassava gari‐eba food products across cultural and environmental settings using the triadic comparison of technologies approach (tricot)

“…34,38 This also facilitates moving to triangulation of traits and into a direction of complementarity where the focus is on which varieties and traits are most needed in addition to what farmers, processors and consumers currently use in different agro-ecological and cultural settings and as response strategies to conflict and climatic changes. 39…”

Development of portfolio management tools in crop breeding programs: a case study of cassava in sub-Saharan Africa

“…Concerted efforts are, therefore, urgently needed to sustainably increase food quantities and quality, productivity per unit area, and incomes (Fraval et al, 2019;Bjornlund et al, 2022). This is especially true in the current context of climate change, depletion of natural resources such as biodiversity, land and water, rapid social changes and demographic growth, changes in nutrition, and need for quality food (IPCC, 2022;Olaosebikan et al, 2023). The performance of the agricultural sector is interlinked with how well the above-mentioned challenges will be addressed (Bhavani and Rampal, 2020).…”

Tandem Effect of Bio-Fortification on Dry Matter Content and Gari Yield of Some Yellow Root Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) Varieties

“…It has high yield potential under good conditions and performs better than other crops under sub-optimal conditions [1]. Hence, it is called Africa's food insurance sequel to its reliable yields even in the face of drought, low soil fertility, low management intensity; and resilience to face the effects of climate change [2][3][4][5]. Millions of people in tropical countries depend on cassava for their daily calorie intake [6,7].…”