Increasing sorghum yields for smallholder farmers in Mali: the evolution towards a context-driven, on-farm, gender-responsive sorghum breeding program

This case study explores a decades long evolution towards a gender-responsive sorghum breeding program in Mali. With known disparities in men and women’s access to the resources that improve agricultural productivity and evidence that gender roles and responsibilities shape knowledge and preferences...

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Main Authors: Isaacs, Krista, Weltzien-Rattunde, Eva, Some, Tiare Hermann Williams, Abdoulaye Diallo, Bocar Diallo, Mamourou Sidibé, vom Brocke, Kirsten, Bakary Samake, Nebié, Baloua, Weltzien-Rattunde, Henry Frederick
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Frontiers Media 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/162579
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author Isaacs, Krista
Weltzien-Rattunde, Eva
Some, Tiare Hermann Williams
Abdoulaye Diallo
Bocar Diallo
Mamourou Sidibé
vom Brocke, Kirsten
Bakary Samake
Nebié, Baloua
Weltzien-Rattunde, Henry Frederick
author_browse Abdoulaye Diallo
Bakary Samake
Bocar Diallo
Isaacs, Krista
Mamourou Sidibé
Nebié, Baloua
Some, Tiare Hermann Williams
Weltzien-Rattunde, Eva
Weltzien-Rattunde, Henry Frederick
vom Brocke, Kirsten
author_facet Isaacs, Krista
Weltzien-Rattunde, Eva
Some, Tiare Hermann Williams
Abdoulaye Diallo
Bocar Diallo
Mamourou Sidibé
vom Brocke, Kirsten
Bakary Samake
Nebié, Baloua
Weltzien-Rattunde, Henry Frederick
author_sort Isaacs, Krista
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description This case study explores a decades long evolution towards a gender-responsive sorghum breeding program in Mali. With known disparities in men and women’s access to the resources that improve agricultural productivity and evidence that gender roles and responsibilities shape knowledge and preferences about varieties, there is need for methods that support gender-responsive processes in plant breeding programs. Gender-sensitive and gender-responsive approaches in plant breeding may increase varietal options available to diverse end-users, increase adoption, and limit negative impacts on vulnerable populations. We assess a participatory plant breeding program in Mali to identify determinants of gender-responsive breeding programs. The analysis uses a case study methodology that draws upon project reports, theses, articles, and experiential knowledge to understand how the sorghum breeding program transitioned over time. This case study details (a) more than a decade of sorghum breeding activities and research that led to (b) the inclusion of women in participatory plant breeding, culinary tests, and large-scale participatory selection in on-farm trials, reaching hundreds of women each year and (c) iterative co-learning processes to develop preferred sorghum varieties and increase sorghum yields on men and women’s fields. Analyses indicated that collaborations among many institutions on-farm with community actors, research across various disciplines such as agronomy and social sciences, context-specific breeding, and long-term funding were essential to increasing gender sensitivity and responsive in the breeding efforts.
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language Inglés
publishDate 2024
publishDateRange 2024
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publisher Frontiers Media
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spelling CGSpace1625792025-12-08T10:29:22Z Increasing sorghum yields for smallholder farmers in Mali: the evolution towards a context-driven, on-farm, gender-responsive sorghum breeding program Isaacs, Krista Weltzien-Rattunde, Eva Some, Tiare Hermann Williams Abdoulaye Diallo Bocar Diallo Mamourou Sidibé vom Brocke, Kirsten Bakary Samake Nebié, Baloua Weltzien-Rattunde, Henry Frederick gender sorghum yields smallholders breeding programmes seed This case study explores a decades long evolution towards a gender-responsive sorghum breeding program in Mali. With known disparities in men and women’s access to the resources that improve agricultural productivity and evidence that gender roles and responsibilities shape knowledge and preferences about varieties, there is need for methods that support gender-responsive processes in plant breeding programs. Gender-sensitive and gender-responsive approaches in plant breeding may increase varietal options available to diverse end-users, increase adoption, and limit negative impacts on vulnerable populations. We assess a participatory plant breeding program in Mali to identify determinants of gender-responsive breeding programs. The analysis uses a case study methodology that draws upon project reports, theses, articles, and experiential knowledge to understand how the sorghum breeding program transitioned over time. This case study details (a) more than a decade of sorghum breeding activities and research that led to (b) the inclusion of women in participatory plant breeding, culinary tests, and large-scale participatory selection in on-farm trials, reaching hundreds of women each year and (c) iterative co-learning processes to develop preferred sorghum varieties and increase sorghum yields on men and women’s fields. Analyses indicated that collaborations among many institutions on-farm with community actors, research across various disciplines such as agronomy and social sciences, context-specific breeding, and long-term funding were essential to increasing gender sensitivity and responsive in the breeding efforts. 2024-05-15 2024-11-21T21:56:38Z 2024-11-21T21:56:38Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/162579 en Open Access application/pdf Frontiers Media Isaacs, K., Weltzien-Rattunde, E., Some, T. H. W., Diallo, A., Diallo, B., Sidibé, M., vom Brocke, K., Samake, B., Nebié, B., & Weltzien-Rattunde, H. F. (2024). Increasing sorghum yields for smallholder farmers in Mali: the evolution towards a context-driven, on-farm, gender-responsive sorghum breeding program. Frontiers In Sustainable Food Systems, 8, 1334385. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1334385
spellingShingle gender
sorghum
yields
smallholders
breeding programmes
seed
Isaacs, Krista
Weltzien-Rattunde, Eva
Some, Tiare Hermann Williams
Abdoulaye Diallo
Bocar Diallo
Mamourou Sidibé
vom Brocke, Kirsten
Bakary Samake
Nebié, Baloua
Weltzien-Rattunde, Henry Frederick
Increasing sorghum yields for smallholder farmers in Mali: the evolution towards a context-driven, on-farm, gender-responsive sorghum breeding program
title Increasing sorghum yields for smallholder farmers in Mali: the evolution towards a context-driven, on-farm, gender-responsive sorghum breeding program
title_full Increasing sorghum yields for smallholder farmers in Mali: the evolution towards a context-driven, on-farm, gender-responsive sorghum breeding program
title_fullStr Increasing sorghum yields for smallholder farmers in Mali: the evolution towards a context-driven, on-farm, gender-responsive sorghum breeding program
title_full_unstemmed Increasing sorghum yields for smallholder farmers in Mali: the evolution towards a context-driven, on-farm, gender-responsive sorghum breeding program
title_short Increasing sorghum yields for smallholder farmers in Mali: the evolution towards a context-driven, on-farm, gender-responsive sorghum breeding program
title_sort increasing sorghum yields for smallholder farmers in mali the evolution towards a context driven on farm gender responsive sorghum breeding program
topic gender
sorghum
yields
smallholders
breeding programmes
seed
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/162579
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