A case of transdisciplinarity and collaborative decision making: the co-construction of Gendered Food Product Profiles.

Crop breeding in sub-Saharan Africa has made considerable gains; however, postharvest and food-related preferences have been overlooked, in addition to how these preferences vary by gender, social difference and context. This context is changing as participatory approaches using intersectional gender and place-based methods are beginning to inform how breeding programmes make decisions. This article presents an innovative methodology to inclusively and democratically prioritise food quality traits of root, tuber and banana crops based on engagement with food systems actors and transdisciplinary collaboration. The outcome of the methodology is the Gendered Food Product Profile (GFPP) - a list of prioritised food quality characteristics - to support breeders to make more socially inclusive decisions on the methods for trait characterisation to select genotypes closer to the needs of food system actors. This article reviews application of the methodology in 14 GFPPs, presents illustrative case studies and lessons learned. Key lessons are that the transdisciplinary structure and the key role of social scientists helped avoid reductionism, supported co-learning, and the creation of GFPPs that represented the diverse interests of food system actors, particularly women, in situ. The method partially addressed power dynamics in multidisciplinary decision making; however, effectiveness was dependent on equitable team relations and supportive institutions committed to valuing plural forms of knowledge. Actions to address power asymmetries that privilege particular types of knowledge and voices in decision making are crucial in techno-science projects, along with opportunities for co-learning and long-term collaboration and a transdisciplinary structure at higher level. © 2024 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

East African highland cooking banana: towards an efficient selection of hybrids with user-preferred food quality traits.

BACKGROUND: Determinants of culinary qualities of East African highland cooking bananas (EAHCB) are not well known. This constrains the inclusion of user-preferred traits in breeding. The present study aimed to quantify key indicators of user-preferred characteristics to enable selection of acceptable hybrids. RESULTS: Qualitative characteristics that drive preference were big bunches (15-34 kg), long straight/slightly curved fingers (12-23 cm), yellowness and soft texture. Descriptive sensory analysis of the intensity of colour and texture the 23 genotypes revealed that landraces Kibuzi, Mbwazirume, Nakitembe and Mpologoma had higher intensity of yellowness and lower intensity of hardness (softer) and a low score (≤ 1.0) of astringency taste. A preference test showed that they had higher acceptability scores. Biochemical, instrumental and sensory data revealed correlations between sensory firmness and instrumental hardness (r = 0.5), sensory firmness and amylopectin (r = -0.54), suggesting that qualitative descriptions can be predicted by instrumental and biochemical indicators. Significant (P < 0.05) variations in amylose and total starch content were observed in different varieties. Moderate correlations between instrumental hardness and firmness in mouth (r = 0.55), cohesiveness and firmness in the mouth (r = 0.57), and adhesiveness and firmness in the mouth (r = 0.64) were observed. Surprisingly, carotenoids content was not correlated with yellowness in cooked matooke. However, positive correlations were observed between chroma (b*) parameters of raw matooke and sensorial assessed color on cooked samples. CONCLUSION: Qualitative characteristis; the bunch, pulp colour and texture; that drive users-preference in the EAHCB were quantified, paving way for breeders to use them to select genotypes with these attributes early in the breeding process. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Varietal impact on women's labour, workload and related drudgery in processing root, tuber and banana crops: focus on cassava in sub-Saharan Africa.

Roots, tubers and cooking bananas are bulky and highly perishable. In Africa, except for yams, their consumption is mainly after transport, peeling and cooking in the form of boiled pieces or dough, a few days after harvest. To stabilize and better preserve the products and, in the case of cassava, release toxic cyanogenic glucosides, a range of intermediate products have been developed, mainly for cassava, related to fermentation and drying after numerous processing operations. This review highlights, for the first time, the impact of genotypes on labour requirements, productivity and the associated drudgery in processing operations primarily carried out by women processors. Peeling, soaking/grinding/fermentation, dewatering, sieving and toasting steps were evaluated on a wide range of new hybrids and traditional landraces. The review highlights case studies of gari production from cassava. The results show that, depending on the genotypes used, women's required labour can be more than doubled and even the sum of the weights transported along the process can be up to four times higher for the same quantity of end product. Productivity and loads carried between each processing operation are highly influenced by root shape, ease of peeling, dry matter content and/or fiber content. Productivity and the often related experienced drudgery are key factors to be considered for a better acceptance of new genotypes by actors in the value-addition chain, leading to enhanced adoption and ultimately to improved livelihoods for women processors. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Gender-based violence in food systems.

Gender-based violence (GBV) is an important and pervasive global health and human rights issue whereby prevalence rates have remained unchanged for a decade. However, the relationship between GBV and food systems - the complex networks of people and activities involved in food, from production to consumption - lacks recognition in food systems research and policy. For both moral and practical reasons, GBV needs to be part of food system conversations, research and policy, so that the food sector can respond to global calls for action to address GBV.

Connecting data for consumer preferences, food quality, and breeding in support of market-oriented breeding of root, tuber, and banana crops.

The 5-year project 'Breeding roots, tubers and banana products for end user preferences' (RTBfoods) focused on collecting consumers' preferences on 12 food products to guide breeding programmes. It involved multidisciplinary teams from Africa, Latin America, and Europe. Diverse data types were generated on preferred qualities of users (farmers, family and entrepreneurial processors, traders or retailers, and consumers). Country-based target product profiles were produced with a comprehensive market analysis, disaggregating gender's role and preferences, providing prioritised lists of traits for the development of new plant varieties. We describe the approach taken to create, in the roots, tubers, and banana breeding databases, a centralised and meaningful open access to sensory information on food products and genotypes. Biochemical, instrumental textural, and sensory analysis data are then directly connected to the specific plant record while user survey data, bearing personal information, were analysed, anonymised, and uploaded in a repository. Names and descriptions of food quality traits were added into the Crop Ontology for labelling data in the databases, along with the various methods of measurement used by the project. The development and application of standard operating procedures, data templates, and adapted trait ontologies improved the data quality and its format, enabling the linking of these to the plant material studied when uploaded in the breeding databases or in repositories. Some modifications to the database model were necessary to accommodate the food sensory traits and sensory panel trials. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Automated wearable cameras for improving recall of diet and time use in Uganda: a cross-sectional feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: Traditional recall approaches of data collection for assessing dietary intake and time use are prone to recall bias. Studies in high- and middle-income countries show that automated wearable cameras are a promising method for collecting objective health behavior data and may improve study participants' recall of foods consumed and daily activities performed. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using automated wearable cameras in rural Eastern Ugandan to collect dietary and time use data. METHODS: Mothers of young children (n = 211) wore an automated wearable camera on 2 non-consecutive days while continuing their usual activities. The day after wearing the camera, participants' dietary diversity and time use was assessed using an image-assisted recall. Their experiences of the method were assessed via a questionnaire. RESULTS: Most study participants reported their experiences with the automated wearable camera and image-assisted recall to be good (36%) or very good (56%) and would participate in a similar study in the future (97%). None of the eight study withdrawals could be definitively attributed to the camera. Fifteen percent of data was lost due to device malfunction, and twelve percent of the images were "uncodable" due to insufficient lighting. Processing and analyzing the images were labor-intensive, time-consuming, and prone to human error. Half (53%) of participants had difficulty interpreting the images captured by the camera. CONCLUSIONS: Using an automated wearable camera in rural Eastern Uganda was feasible, although improvements are needed to overcome the challenges common to rural, low-income country contexts and reduce the burdens posed on both participants and researchers. To improve the quality of data obtained, future automated wearable camera-based image assisted recall studies should use a structured data format to reduce image coding time; electronically code the data in the field, as an output of the image review process, to eliminate ex post facto data entry; and, ideally, use computer-assisted personal interviews software to ensure completion and reduce errors. In-depth formative work in partnership with key local stakeholders (e.g., researchers from low-income countries, representatives from government and/or other institutional review boards, and community representatives and local leaders) is also needed to identify practical approaches to ensuring that the ethical rights of automated wearable camera study participants in low-income countries are adequately protected.

Gender mainstreaming in sweetpotato breeding in Uganda: a case study.

Purpose: In Uganda, sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam] is typically a "woman's crop," grown, processed, stored and also mainly consumed by smallholder farmers for food and income. Farmers value sweetpotato for its early maturity, resilience to stresses, and minimal input requirements. However, productivity remains low despite the effort of breeding programs to introduce new varieties. Low uptake of new varieties is partly attributed to previous focus by breeders on agronomic traits and much less on quality traits and the diverse preferences of men and women in sweetpotato value chains. Method: To address this gap, breeders, food scientists, and social scientists (including gender specialists) systematically mainstreamed gender into the breeding program. This multidisciplinary approach, grounded in examining gender roles and their relationship with varietal and trait preferences, integrated important traits into product profiles. Results: Building on earlier efforts of participatory plant breeding and participatory varietal selection, new interventions showed subtle but important gender differences in preferences. For instance, in a study for the RTBFoods project, women prioritized mealiness, sweetness, firmness and non-fibrous boiled roots. These were further subjected to a rigorous gender analysis using the G+ product profile query tool. The breeding pipelines then incorporated these gender-responsive priority quality traits, prompting the development of standard operating procedures to phenotype these traits. Conclusion: Following an all-inclusive approach coupled with training of multidisciplinary teams involving food scientists, breeders, biochemists, gender specialists and social scientists, integration into participatory variety selection in Uganda enabled accentuation of women and men's trait preferences, contributing to clearer breeding targets. The research has positioned sweetpotato breeding to better respond to the varying needs and preferences of the users.

Validation of an Automated Wearable Camera-Based Image-Assisted Recall Method and the 24-h Recall Method for Assessing Women's Time Allocation in a Nutritionally Vulnerable Population: The Case of Rural Uganda.

Accurate data are essential for investigating relationships between maternal time-use patterns and nutritional outcomes. The 24 h recall (24HR) has traditionally been used to collect time-use data, however, automated wearable cameras (AWCs) with an image-assisted recall (IAR) may reduce recall bias. This study aimed to evaluate their concurrent criterion validity for assessing women's time use in rural Eastern Ugandan. Women's (n = 211) time allocations estimated via the AWC-IAR and 24HR methods were compared with direct observation (criterion method) using the Bland-Altman limits of agreement (LOA) method of analysis and Cronbach's coefficient alpha (time allocation) or Cohen's κ (concurrent activities). Systematic bias varied from 1 min (domestic chores) to 226 min (caregiving) for 24HR and 1 min (own production) to 109 min (socializing) for AWC-IAR. The LOAs were within 2 h for employment, own production, and self-care for 24HR and AWC-IAR but exceeded 11 h (24HR) and 9 h (AWC-IAR) for caregiving and socializing. The LOAs were within four concurrent activities for 24HR (-1.1 to 3.7) and AWC-IAR (-3.2 to 3.2). Cronbach's alpha for time allocation ranged from 0.1728 (socializing) to 0.8056 (own production) for 24HR and 0.2270 (socializing) to 0.7938 (own production) for AWC-IAR. For assessing women's time allocations at the population level, the 24HR and AWC-IAR methods are accurate and reliable for employment, own production, and domestic chores but poor for caregiving and socializing. The results of this study suggest the need to revisit previously published research investigating the associations between women's time allocations and nutrition outcomes.

An interdisciplinary and participatory methodology to improve user acceptability of root, tuber and banana varieties.

Breeding programmes for root, tuber and banana (RTB) crops have traditionally considered consumer demand for quality characteristics as low priority against other considerations such as yield and disease resistance. This has contributed to low levels of adoption of new varieties and its potential benefits. To address these challenges, an interdisciplinary five-step methodology was developed to identify demand for quality characteristics among diverse user groups along the food chain. The methodology includes an evidence review, consultations with key informants and rural communities, processing diagnosis with experienced processors and consumer testing in urban and rural areas. Quality characteristics are then prioritised into a Food Product Profile by user group to inform further work of biochemists and breeders in developing improved selection tools. This initiative presents a new basis to understand consumer preferences for RTB crops. The methodology is currently being applied in projects in sub-Saharan Africa and is applicable globally.

The East African highland cooking bananas 'Matooke' preferences of farmers and traders: Implications for variety development.

'Matooke' is a staple food made from Highland cooking bananas in the Great Lakes region of East Africa. Genetic improvement of these bananas for resistance to pests and diseases has been a priority breeding objective. However, there is insufficient information on fruit quality characteristics that different users prefer, resulting in sub-optimal adoption of new varieties. This study identified matooke characteristics preferred by farmers and traders, using survey data from 123 farmers, 14 focus group discussions and 40 traders. Gender differences were considered. The main characteristics that were found to drive variety preferences were agronomic (big bunch, big fruits) and quality (soft texture, good taste, good aroma, yellow food). There were minimal geographical and gender differences for trait preferences. Quality characteristics need to be defined in terms of physical-chemical underpinnings so that breeding programmes can apply accurate high-throughput systems, thereby improving adoption and impact of new banana varieties.

Analysis of consumer-oriented quality characteristics of raw and boiled plantains in Cameroon: implication for breeding.

This study aimed at understanding users' demand for raw and boiled plantains in rural and urban areas in West and Littoral regions of Cameroon. Surveys conducted in eight rural localities consisted of key informant interviews, gender-disaggregated focus group discussions, market and individual interviews. Processing and cooking diagnoses were done with restaurant cooks in urban areas, to know the details of plantain processing and boiling and to understand the quality characteristics of raw plantain that give a most-liked boiled plantain. Local favourite landraces, most cultivated landraces in Cameroon (Batard and Big ebanga) and a new CARBAP/CIRAD hybrid (CARBAP K74) were used. The preference for plantain cultivars was both gender and region-dependent. High-quality plantain should be mature, with big fingers and having a dark green peel colour. The fruit length and girth, pulp pH, dry matter content and firmness were found to be relevant postharvest quality characteristics for plantain breeding improvement.

From cassava to gari: mapping of quality characteristics and end-user preferences in Cameroon and Nigeria.

User's preferences of cassava and cassava products along the value chain are supported by specific root quality characteristics that can be linked to root traits. Therefore, providing an evidence base of user preferred characteristics along the value chain can help in the functional choice of cassava varieties. In this respect, the present paper presents the results from focus group discussions and individual interviews on user preferred quality characteristics of raw cassava roots and the derived product, gari, - one of the major cassava products in Sub-Saharan Africa - in major production and consumption areas of Cameroon and Nigeria. Choice of cassava varieties for farming is mainly determined by the multiple end uses of the roots, their agricultural yield and the processing determinants of roots that support their major high-quality characteristics: size, density, low water content, maturity, colour and safety. Processing of cassava roots into gari goes through different technological variants leading to a gari whose high-quality characteristics are dryness, colour, shiny/attractive appearance, uniform granules and taste. Eba, the major consumption form of gari in Cameroon and Nigeria, is mainly characterised by its textural properties: smoothness, firmness, stickiness, elasticity and mouldability. Recommendations are made, suggesting that breeding will have to start evaluating cassava clones for brightness/shininess, as well as textural properties such as mouldability and elasticity of cassava food products, for the purpose of supporting decision-making by breeders and the development of high-throughput selection methods of cassava varieties. Women are identified as important beneficiaries of such initiatives giving their disadvantaged position and their prominent role in cassava processing and marketing of gari.

Quality attributes of fufu in South-East Nigeria: guide for cassava breeders.

Fufu is a popular traditional fermented wet paste food product from cassava. We examined consumer preferences and quality attributes of fufu in Abia and Imo States of South-East Nigeria, with special attention to gender differences, for the purpose of providing guidance to breeders. Data were analysed by the use of descriptive and inferential statistics. Participants for the interview were randomly selected from a list of farmers in the study area. Individual (II) interviews were conducted among eighty participants comprising twenty-six men (32.5%) and fifty-four women (67.5%). Preferences along the food chain from raw roots to final product were also obtained. Major traits influencing gender-specific consumer preferences are related to appearance, texture and smell. Smoothness, not sticky, easy to swallow and drawability of fufu appear to be major traits that drive acceptance by both men and women. Big roots and smooth skin are prioritised for raw material. Some quality characteristics are conditioned largely by variety traits, while others can be modified by adjusting the processing methods. The complexity of producing high-quality fufu makes it imperative to introduce a multidisciplinary approach into breeding programmes.

Development of a food product profile for boiled and steamed sweetpotato in Uganda for effective breeding.

This study sought to understand user preferences of raw, boiled and steamed sweetpotato, a staple food in Uganda. A sequential methodology involving state of knowledge review, gendered food mapping, processing diagnosis and consumer testing was used in Lira and Kamwenge districts. Preferred raw sweetpotato characteristics were large roots (≥ 3 cm diameter) with a sweet taste, smooth skin and hard texture, while mealiness, sweet taste and good sweetpotato smell were important attributes for boiled sweetpotato. Processors, mostly women, highlighted ease of peeling and sappiness of raw roots. There were gender differences in quality characteristic preferences and perceived importance. The released variety, NASPOT 8, had the highest overall liking in Kamwenge and was well liked in Lira. Penalty analysis of consumer data showed that sweetness and firmness were key drivers of overall liking. The results will support breeding programmes in meeting specific end-user product profiles, selection criteria and uptake of new varieties.

Boiled yam end-user preferences and implications for trait evaluation.

This study aimed to establish the quality characteristics of raw and boiled yam by involving stakeholders along the food chain using a methodology that includes a state of knowledge review, focus group discussion and individual interviews, participatory processing diagnosis with processors and consumer testing. Predictive characteristics of yam for producing a high- and low-quality boiled yam were related to morphological or physicochemical characteristics: peeled yam discoloration and mucilage content being negatively appreciated while the ease of peeling, viscous state of cooking water and the ease of breaking yam into pieces positively valued. High-quality boiled yam should be white or yellowish, sticky to the fingers, nonfibrous, easy to chew, crumbly/friable, with a sweet taste and a good smell. The overall liking of boiled yam is greatly penalised by a too dark colour, hard to the touch, no sweet taste and no friability while eating.

Validation of a life-logging wearable camera method and the 24-h diet recall method for assessing maternal and child dietary diversity.

Accurate and timely data are essential for identifying populations at risk for undernutrition due to poor-quality diets, for implementing appropriate interventions and for evaluating change. Life-logging wearable cameras (LLWC) have been used to prospectively capture food/beverage consumed by adults in high-income countries. This study aimed to evaluate the concurrent criterion validity, for assessing maternal and child dietary diversity scores (DDS), of a LLWC-based image-assisted recall (IAR) and 24-h recall (24HR). Direct observation was the criterion method. Food/beverage consumption of rural Eastern Ugandan mothers and their 12-23-month-old child (n 211) was assessed, for the same day for each method, and the IAR and 24HR DDS were compared with the weighed food record DDS using the Bland-Altman limits of agreement (LOA) method of analysis and Cohen's κ. The relative bias was low for the 24HR (-0·1801 for mothers; -0·1358 for children) and the IAR (0·1227 for mothers; 0·1104 for children), but the LOA were wide (-1·6615 to 1·3012 and -1·6883 to 1·4167 for mothers and children via 24HR, respectively; -2·1322 to 1·8868 and -1·7130 to 1·4921 for mothers and children via IAR, respectively). Cohen's κ, for DDS via 24HR and IAR, was 0·68 and 0·59, respectively, for mothers, and 0·60 and 0·59, respectively, for children. Both the 24HR and IAR provide an accurate estimate of median dietary diversity, for mothers and their young child, but non-differential measurement error would attenuate associations between DDS and outcomes, thereby under-estimating the true associations between DDS - where estimated via 24HR or IAR - and outcomes measured.

Women Eat More Rice and Banana: The Influence of Gender and Migration on Staple Food Choice in East Africa.

An original approach was used to examine how staple food choice differs by gender and migration: this consisted of a quantitative survey (six locations with urban consumers from various economic classes (n = 123)), a qualitative in-depth interview with a subset of those consumers (n = 18), and focus group discussions (n = 13). Men and women had similar results in terms of their preferred staple food choice attributes; yet women indicated consuming more rice and banana, and men, more maize and cassava (Chi-squared test; p < .05). Migration status and life stage (formative or adult years) also influenced the type and diversity of staple crops reported.