Mainstreaming experience capitalization in Zimbabwe's department of research and specialist services

Following the different steps of an experience capitalization process to produce various knowledge products, DR&SS has been able to raise the visibility of its agricultural development projects and innovations. As a result, improved bean varieties have been taken up by local smallholders and the Ministry of Agriculture has adopted a policy recommendation submitted by the Department

Breaking ground: transformative partnerships for inclusive bean breeding in Zimbabwe

Common bean is often considered a woman’s crop because they play important roles from production to marketing. However, breeding programs often focus on farmers without adequate attention to the interconnectedness between gender and other socioeconomic variables and how they influence varietal and trait preferences of other value chain actors. This study analyzed gendered differences in bean production and trade, implications of socioeconomic conditions on bean production and marketing, and the role of partnerships in closing gender gaps in the bean value chain in Zimbabwe. The results obtained from the analysis of survey data collected from 131 farmers and 18 trades revealed beans as a dual-purpose crop for male and female farmers and traders. Varietal and trait preferences were the same for both male and female farmers and traders but were prioritized differently. While female farmers prioritized cooking time, men farmers prioritized biofortification and market traits. Whereas male traders equally preferred price, color, and appearance, female traders prioritized price over color and appearance. Poverty and marital statuses of respondents influenced the number of varieties preferred by male and female farmers. We found that the effectiveness of partnerships in closing gender gaps in marketing is variety specific. While having partners closed the gender gaps in the marketing of the NUA45 variety, such partnerships did not have the same effect on closing gender gaps in the marketing of Cherry, Gloria, and other varieties. The results show that considering socioeconomic characteristics of actors and partnerships can reduce gender disparities in the bean value chain. Therefore, breeding programs should recognize the interconnectedness between socioeconomic variables and gender when developing breeding products

Piloting the G + Customer and Product Profile Tools for gender-responsive bean breeding in Zimbabwe

Gender is an integral part of bean breeding initiatives and provides the platform through which plant breeding should be implemented. Gender-sensitive breeding offers a clear focus on addressing gender gap in agriculture by considering different traits preferred by both men and women (Nchanji et al., 2021b). Through the gender lens, critical elements in women and men’s preferences are consulted even though such profiles do not necessarily have different traits for men and women (Nchanji et al., 2021b). Breeding teams are therefore capable of assessing gender-relevant differences in preferences, constraints, needs, and potential impact on women and men’s livelihood strategies. This observation is founded on the critical role women play in production of common beans in Zimbabwe. Therefore, their participation in bean breeding initiatives is considered essential because it is regarded as a women’s crop (PABRA 2015a). The CGIAR gender and breeding initiative has developed an important tool to guide breeders in identifying the gender gaps and preferences of customer to develop and prioritize new product that address persistent gender gaps in crop production. The tool; G+ product and customer profile recognizes changes in the modern agriculture as production and marketing systems transition towards more demand-driven business models for social inclusivity

Transforming food systems. Impacts and insights from scaling innovations in Zimbabwe

This is a comprehensive documentation of the processes and outcomes of food system transformation resulting from a seven-year flagship project in Zimbabwe. From a purposive selection of bean value chain actors, the authors identified and documented individual project experiences that best convey the project's outcomes from a variety of perspectives. The narratives were compared with data and information from project implementation monitoring reports, process evaluations, impact evaluations, and relevant secondary sources. Emerging solutions and outcomes for food system transformation are presented. The publication is based on the Zimbabwe flagship project jointly implemented by the Pan African Bean Alliance (PABRA) and the Zimbabwean Department of Research and Special Services (DRSS), with funding from the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC)

Gender responsive breeding: Lessons from Zimbabwe

Gender analysis can have two kinds of influence and impact in a research program, such as plant breeding. One is to change the final results of the program by increasing the program’s attention to gender equality and to ensuring its benefits accrue to women, as well as to men. A second is to change the research process, by informing and altering research priorities and the program’s strategy for achieving them so that the program becomes more gender-responsive. Frequently this second type of change is a precondition for the first. The purpose of these Case Studies is to illustrate the impact of gender analysis on research in a real-life breeding program with an analysis of learning about gender and change in the breeding process. Better understanding of how gender analysis has been used to catalyze change in how plant breeding research is conducted should help programs interested in becoming gender-responsive to make more effective use of gender analysis. This document provides a Guide to writing a Case based on real experience in a plant breeding program or project for use by case study authors

Market segmentation (G + Customer and Product Profile Tools) for gender responsive bean breeding in Zimbabwe: Piloting report

Gender is an integral part of bean breeding initiatives and provides the platform through which plant breeding should be implemented. Gender-sensitive breeding offers a clear focus on addressing gender gap in agriculture by considering different traits preferred by both men and women (Nchanji et al., 2021b). Through the gender lens, critical elements in women and men’s preferences are consulted even though such profiles do not necessarily have different traits for men and women (Nchanji et al., 2021b). Breeding teams are therefore capable of assessing gender-relevant differences in preferences, constraints, needs, and potential impact on women and men’s livelihood strategies. This observation is founded on the critical role women play in production of common beans in Zimbabwe. Therefore, their participation in bean breeding initiatives is considered essential because it is regarded as a women’s crop (PABRA 2015a). The CGIAR gender and breeding initiative has developed an important tool to guide breeders in identifying the gender gaps and preferences of customer to develop and prioritize new product that address persistent gender gaps in crop production. The tool; G+ product and customer profile recognizes changes in the modern agriculture as production and marketing systems transition towards more demand-driven business models for social inclusivity. Below is a step-by-step process followed when collecting information using the G+ tools