WE3.2: GenderUp: A conversational method for responsible Scaling

GenderUp is a conversational method for designing responsible scaling strategies in a particular context. It is intended to be used by project teams who want to scale the use of an agricultural innovation in a socially inclusive way and who want to prevent undesirable outcomes. GenderUp supports users to identify gender and other relevant diversity among innovation users and to improve the scaling strategy by optimizing the inclusion of relevant social groups and by anticipating unintended negative consequences for different social groups. GenderUp is a web-based tool that takes project teams on a journey through the stages of developing or improving a scaling strategy. The journey is facilitated by someone with a background in gender studies who is familiar with the tool. The objective of this capacity building session is to familiarize CGIAR gender researchers with GenderUp. Participants will learn about the objectives and functioning of the tool. The session is relevant to gender researchers who want to use GenderUp with project teams to embark on a socially inclusive scaling journey. The session will enable them to discover the potential of GenderUp. Participants might become full-fledged GenderUp facilitators themselves. This session is a first step in that direction*. GenderUp is a conversational method, designed to evoke discussion on relevant social issues that pertain to scaling. The session will discuss and lead participants through the web-based tool. * To facilitate a GenderUp journey independently we envisage prospective facilitators, apart from this session, to join in on a real application journey and listen in and learn from the facilitator

A gender perspective on pest and disease management from the cases of roots, tubers and bananas in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa

Considering gender in research on pests and diseases is increasingly important as it facilitates development of more efficient approaches to increasing the adoption of crop protection technologies and practices by women and men farmers according to their roles, knowledge, and capacities. However, this task is often assigned to social scientists in isolation from agronomists. Meanwhile, agronomists often struggle to understand how taking a gender perspective could enrich their research. Drawing on a number of different cases from both published and unpublished field research in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, this perspective article illustrates how a gender perspective can broaden the aspects of agronomy research and thereby contribute to improving crop production and scaling up of existing technologies and practices. Its targeted audience are agronomists and development practitioners, in particular, young researchers who are central to transdisciplinary agricultural research in the future

From traits to typologies: Piloting new approaches to profiling trait preferences along the cassava value chain in Nigeria

Breeding programs are increasing efforts towards demand-led breeding approaches to ensure that cultivars released meet the needs of end users including processors, traders, and consumers, and that they are adopted by farmers. To effectively deploy these approaches, new tools are required to better understand and quantify the degree of preference differences among alternative trait changes competing for measurement and selection effort. The purpose of this study was to present a method of quantifying preferences and developing typologies according to breeding priorities by applying an online trait preference survey approach to cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz). This paper presents a conjoint analysis based on Potentially All Pairwise RanKings of all possible Alternatives (PAPRIKA) to help guide breeding programs in understanding trait preferences across value chain roles and social contexts and set breeding priorities that represent diverse interests. Trait preferences were assessed using a comprehensive survey and analysis package incorporating a core adaptive conjoint method (1000minds, 2020). Trait selection was based on a trade-off of 11 cassava traits carried out with 792 cassava value chain actors in four geopolitical regions in Nigeria. Principal component and cluster analyses revealed three clusters (typologies) of respondents according to their trait preferences. The results demonstrate the usefulness of this methodology that innovates on previous trait preference approaches to address the expanding needs of plant breeding programs within smallholder contexts. © 2021 The Authors. Crop Science © 2021 Crop Science Society of Americ

A review of varietal change in roots, tubers and bananas: consumer preferences and other drivers of adoption and implications for breeding

This review of the literature on varietal change in sub-Saharan Africa looks in detail at adoption of new varieties of bananas in Uganda, cassava in Nigeria, potato in Kenya, sweetpotato in Uganda and yams in C^ote d'Ivoire. The review explored three hypotheses about drivers of varietal change. There was a strong confirmation for the hypothesis that insufficient priority given to consumer-preferred traits by breeding programmes contributes to the limited uptake of modern varieties (MVs) and low varietal turnover. Lack of evidence meant the second hypothesis of insufficient attention to understanding and responding to gender differences in consumer preferences for quality and post-harvest traits was unresolved. The evidence on the third hypothesis about the informal seed system contributing to slow uptake of MVs was mixed. In some cases, the informal system has contributed to rapid uptake of MVs, but often it appears to be a barrier with inconsistent varietal naming a major challenge

Building demand-led and gender-responsive breeding programs

Gender-responsive breeding is a new approach to making sure modern breeding takes advantage of opportunities to improve gender equality in agriculture. Conventional research on the acceptability of modern varieties has scarcely addressed gender differences during adoption studies. Gender-responsive breeding starts from a different premise that adoption and social impact will be enhanced if gender is addressed at early stages of variety design and priority setting in breeding. However, until recently, there was no concrete way to integrate gender considerations into the practice of breeding. This chapter draws lessons for the future from three RTB breeding programs innovating with gender-responsive breeding with a focus on piloting novel tools. The new G+ tools are designed to help gender researchers and breeders make joint, evidence-based decisions about the significance of gender differences for customer targeting and trait prioritization in variety development. Their piloting in the context of each program’s practice of gender-responsive breeding throws light on some valuable good practices that contributed to successful innovation

Understanding cassava varietal preferences through pairwise ranking of gari-eba and fufu prepared by local farmer-processors

Within communities in Osun and Imo States of Nigeria, farmer‐processors grew and processed a diverse set of improved and landrace cassava varieties into the locally popular foods, gari, eba and fufu. Local and 15 main varieties were grown in a 'mother and baby trials' design in each state. Mother trials with three replications were processed by farmer‐processors renown in their community for their processing skills. Baby trials were managed and processed by other farmer‐processors. The objective was to identify food quality criteria to inform demand‐led breeding to benefit users, especially women, given their key roles in processing. Farmer‐processors evaluated the overall quality of fresh roots and derived food products through pairwise comparisons. Improved varieties had higher fresh and dry root yield. Overall, landraces ranked first for quality of gari and eba, but several improved varieties were also appreciated for good quality. Landraces in Osun had higher gari yield and a higher swelling power compared to improved varieties. Colour (browning), bulk density, swelling power, solubility and water absorption capacity were the criteria most related to food product ranking by farmer‐processors. Evaluation of varieties under farmer‐processors' conditions is crucial for providing guidance to breeders on critical selection criteria

Drivers of consumer acceptability of cassava gari-eba food products across cultural and environmental settings using the Triadic Comparison of Technologies approach (tricot)

BACKGROUND: Nigeria and Cameroon are multi-ethnic countries with diverse preferences for food characteristics. The present study aimed to inform cassava breeders on consumer-prioritized eba quality traits. Consumer testing was carried out using the triadic compar ison of technologies (tricot). Diverse consumers in villages, towns and cities evaluated the overall acceptability of eba made from differ ent cassava genotypes. Data from both countries were combined and linked to laboratory analyses of eba and the gari used to make it. RESULTS: There is a strong preference for eba with higher cohesiveness and eba from gari with higher brightness and especially in Cameroon, with lower redness and yellowness. Relatively higher eba hardness and springiness values are preferred in the Nigerian locations, whereas lower values are preferred in Cameroon. Trends for solubility and swelling power of the gari differ between the two countries. The study also reveals that the older improved cassava genotype TMS30572 is a benchmark geno type with superior eba characteristics across different regions in Nigeria, whereas the recently released variety Game changer performs very well in Cameroon. In both locations, the recently released genotypes Obansanjo-2 and improved variety TM14F1278P0003 have good stability and overall acceptability for eba characteristics. CONCLUSION: The wide acceptance of a single genotype across diverse geographical and cultural conditions in Nigeria, as well as three acceptable new improved varieties in both locations, indicates that consumers' preferences are surprisingly homogeneous for eba. This would enhance breeding efforts to develop varieties with wider acceptability and expand potential target areas for released varieties

FR1.3: Coping with Stressors along the Cassava Value Chain in Nigeria: Evidence to Strengthen Gender-Responsive Breeding and Inform Resilience

This study investigates gender perspectives on climate change (CC) and conflict stressors surrounding the cassava value-chain (VC) in Nigeria. Research Question(s): A State of Knowledge review identified the need to inquire into coping strategies and the preferred stressor-related cassava traits by specifically asking, "In what ways do gender roles and norms influence these". Methodology: Data elicited from 187 cassava farmers, 15 Key Informants and 63 VC Focus Group participants were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Key findings: The study validates CC as a key factor in increased conflicts. Farmer-herder clashes, communal clashes and land disputes exacerbate the emergence of farm burning, theft and influence the kind of cassava food product made. This shapes stressor-related trait preferences like ‘early re-emergence of leaves after grazing', ‘short stem', ‘ratooning potential', and ‘stem-longevity' among men and women farmers and ‘multi-purpose suitability of roots' among processors/marketers mainly women. Coping mechanisms include relocating farms, migration and fragmented farming among men, and choice of food with less processing steps, backyard farming, forcing daughter's premature marriage and dependence on remittances from husbands among women. Resilience capacity is generally low, but men have a higher overall resilience capacity (t = 5.45) and level of access to assets (t = 6.698) which facilitate coping strategies like ‘relocating farms', migration and ‘fragmented farming'. Relevance and Implication of findings: Results present gendered coping strategies, corresponding stressor-related traits, as additional aspects important when evaluating the gender impact of breeding strategies concerning the positive benefits for, and possible harm to cassava users and especially women engaged in the cassava VC activities

Understanding gendered trait preferences: Implications for client-responsive breeding programs

Open Access Article; Published online: 30 Aug 2022Client-responsiveness is a foundation for effectiveness of public sector breeding programs in agriculture, aquaculture and livestock. However, there remains a considerable lack of clarity about what this means, specifically in terms of how programs can be gender-responsive. This study contributes to addressing that need. It does so through sharing higher-level insights emerging from the combined experiences of eight gendered trait preference cases from across nine countries in Asia and Africa. The cases spanned crops, fish and livestock. This study inquires into the nature of gendered trait preference information that can be generated, if there are systematic gendered preference differences and how to understand these, and implications for breeding programs seeking to be more gender-responsive. Key findings include that while not all data are immediately usable by programs, the information that is generated through mixed method, intersectional gender preference assessments usefully deepens and widens programs’ knowledge. The study evidences differences in trait preferences between women and men. It also reveals that these differences are more complex than previously thought. In doing so, it challenges binary or homogenous models of preferences, suggesting instead that preferences are likely to be overlapping and nuanced. The study applies a novel ‘Three models of gendered trait preferences’ framework and sub-framework and finds these useful in that they challenge misconceptions and enable a needed analytical nuance to inform gender-responsive breeding programs. Finally, the study highlights implications and offers a call to action for gender-responsive breeding, proposing ways forward for public breeding programs, teams and funding agencies. These include investments in interdisciplinary capabilities and considerations for navigating trade-offs while orienting to sustainable development goals