Gender mainstreaming in sweetpotato breeding in Uganda: a case study

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Gender Studies
• Food Science

Background:

• Sweetpotato is a vital crop in Uganda, primarily cultivated by women, yet productivity remains low.
• Existing breeding programs often overlook diverse gender preferences for quality traits, hindering new variety adoption.
• Understanding gender roles in the sweetpotato value chain is crucial for improving crop development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically integrate gender into the sweetpotato breeding program in Uganda.
• To address the gap in considering diverse gender preferences for quality traits in sweetpotato varieties.
• To enhance the uptake of new sweetpotato varieties by aligning them with user needs.

Main Methods:

• A multidisciplinary approach involving breeders, food scientists, and social scientists (including gender specialists).
• Systematic mainstreaming of gender into the breeding program, examining gender roles and trait preferences.
• Utilizing participatory plant breeding and participatory varietal selection, incorporating gender analysis tools like the G+ product profile query tool.

Main Results:

• Identified subtle but important gender differences in sweetpotato trait preferences.
• Women prioritized traits such as mealiness, sweetness, firmness, and non-fibrous roots.
• Breeding pipelines incorporated gender-responsive quality traits, leading to the development of standard operating procedures for phenotyping.

Conclusions:

• An inclusive, multidisciplinary approach enhanced the understanding of both women's and men's trait preferences in sweetpotato.
• Clearer breeding targets were established, positioning sweetpotato breeding to better respond to diverse user needs.
• This research contributes to more effective and user-centered sweetpotato variety development in Uganda.