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Why Gender Matters in Breeding: Lessons from Cooking Bananas in Uganda

Author

Listed:
  • Losira Nasirumbi Sanya

    (National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), Mukono Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MUZARDI), Mukono P.O. Box 164, Uganda
    Department of Extension and Innovation Studies, School of Agricultural Sciences, College of Agricultural and Environmental Science, Makerere University, Kampala P.O. Box 7062, Uganda)

  • Reuben Tendo Ssali

    (NARO, National Agricultural Research Laboratories (NARL), Kampala P.O. Box 7065, Uganda
    International Potato Centre (CIP), Kampala P.O. Box 22274, Uganda)

  • Mary Gorreth Namuddu

    (NARO, National Agricultural Research Laboratories (NARL), Kampala P.O. Box 7065, Uganda)

  • Miriam Kyotalimye

    (Green Ambiance Limited (GAL Africa), Entebbe P.O. Box 1013, Uganda
    Previously worked at Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA), Entebbe P.O. Box 765, Uganda.)

  • Pricilla Marimo

    (Independent Consultant, Kampala P.O. Box 117224, Uganda
    Previously worked at Alliance of Bioversity International and International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Kampala 24384, Uganda.)

  • Sarah Mayanja

    (International Potato Centre (CIP), Kampala P.O. Box 22274, Uganda)

Abstract

This study examined the gender-differentiated trait preferences of cooking banana ( matooke ) for farmers and consumers in Central Uganda to inform banana-breeding strategies. Women and men banana farmers might have differing production objectives, norms, and values which drive decisions on which varieties to adopt and grow. However, breeders rarely consider this in their variety development programs, leading to lost opportunities for equitable breeding. An exploratory sequential mixed-method approach was used to obtain a richer understanding of the trait preferences of women and men, which explains the acceptability of cooking bananas. Consumer preference tests for the candidate banana varieties and released hybrids were also conducted. The results showed that the universal attributes for variety selection were bunch size, taste, resistance to pests and diseases, drought tolerance, food texture/softness, maturity period, and finger size. Men appreciated agronomic and market-related traits, such as tolerance to drought and poor soils, bunch size and compactness, maturity period, and shelf life, while women valued processing and cooking traits such as flavour, food colour, ease of peeling, finger size, and agronomic traits such as plant height. These are plausible attributes for the gender-responsive breeding of bananas. The findings highlight the need to redesign the banana-breeding pipeline and process in Uganda to deliver varieties with attributes desired by women and men along this commodity value chain. A participatory demand-driven and gender-responsive process involving stepwise selection criteria that commences with quality traits followed by production traits while integrating gender-specific preferences should be employed to ensure the acceptability of cooking banana hybrids by women and men end users. This requires integrating different disciplines, including social scientists and gender experts, along the entire breeding process for more inclusive products and equitable outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Losira Nasirumbi Sanya & Reuben Tendo Ssali & Mary Gorreth Namuddu & Miriam Kyotalimye & Pricilla Marimo & Sarah Mayanja, 2023. "Why Gender Matters in Breeding: Lessons from Cooking Bananas in Uganda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-20, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:9:p:7024-:d:1129885
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    References listed on IDEAS

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