Gender-inclusive cassava breeding: Insights from commercial seed companies in Nigeria

11 July 2025

The different gari prepared by the processor into eba product samples.
The different gari prepared by the processor into eba product samples.

Since 2015, Nigeria’s public cassava breeding program, led by IITA in collaboration with the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), has focused on developing new cassava varieties to cater to the diverse needs of cassava users across the value chain. A key aspect of this initiative has been identifying gender-specific traits preferences, ensuring that breeding decisions optimally align with the unique priorities of both women and men along the cassava value chain.

A recent study shows that beyond conventional research that interacts directly with crop users along the value chain, commercial seed companies such as IITA GoSeed and Umudike Seeds have become important sources of insights on gender specific preferences and show large potential. By promoting and selling improved seeds (in the form of stem cuttings in the case of cassava) through the upcoming formal commercial seed system, these companies acquire valuable feedback from seed users, thereby validating and complimenting earlier research findings on gender-specific trait preferences and providing breeders with market intelligence data in real time to pragmatically steer future investments.

To assess the role of commercial seed businesses in capturing gendered user feedback, researchers from IITA and NRCRI adopted a case study approach focused on IITA GoSeed and Umudike Seeds commercial companies. It included six key informant interviews with company staff (three men and three women), alongside reviews of company reports and sales data. Findings confirm the importance of previously identified traits such as plant architecture (branched stems and a wide canopy to suppress weeds) and suitability for processing. However, new gender-preferred traits also emerged: ratooning ability (allowing cutting stems from a plant without the plant being affected much) and sweet, poundable cassava roots suitable for direct consumption after boiling.

One of the cassava producers expressing delight with his harvest output from the newly released variety of cassava.
One of the cassava producers expressing delight with his harvest output from the newly released variety of cassava.

Recently released umbrella-shaped varieties like Game-changer, Obasanjo-2, and Baba-70 are gaining popularity. Notably, women village seed entrepreneurs (VSEs) who sell stems in their communities demonstrated a distinct preference for Game-changer and Farmers’ Pride varieties, surpassing the demand for these varieties by men.   These insights highlight that gendered roles and norms equally influence cassava varietal preferences within the seed market.

Earlier research conducted in cassava-producing regions of southwest and southeast Nigeria shows that high yield, root size, early maturity, and dry matter content are universally valued. Men leaned toward agronomic traits such as field appearance and canopy cover, while women prioritized processing and food products’ qualities more. Participatory processing evaluations of cassava products such as gari, eba, and fufu reinforced the demand for qualities like swelling capacity, texture, and color, which impact marketability and profitability.

A Tricot farmer discussing her preferences for plant architecture.
A Tricot farmer discussing her preferences for plant architecture.

The participatory research approaches used in these earlier studies, such as mother-baby trials, tricot, and participatory processing evaluations with renowned processors in farming communities, have significantly improved the inclusion of users’ perspectives. The lead researcher, IITA Senior Research Supervisor Durodola Owoade, however, stressed that further integrating participatory approaches like tricot within the seed systems commercial activities of stem selling, and working with stem sellers, can enhance the connection between user feedback and breeding innovation, ultimately fostering a more inclusive and sustainable cassava seed system in Nigeria.

In conclusion, seed businesses must actively connect to research by providing feedback guiding the selection of new commercial crop varieties. This is especially important in a growing formal seed sector, where farmers are increasingly looking for high-performing varieties with clear benefits: varieties that are not easily accessed through friends or neighbours and that they are thus willing to pay for.

To boost the impact and relevance of research, companies like IITA GoSeed and Umudike Seeds offer excellent platforms for integrating social science, participatory approaches, and transdisciplinary action research. Their involvement helps identify market segments that include different social, and gender groups and supports the development of stronger investment cases for breeding programs aligned with the One CGIAR social impact areas.

This underscores the importance of creating structured feedback loops between seed system activities and breeding efforts, in addition to participatory research that directly engages with crop users along the value chain.

 

Contributed by Ochuwa Favour Daramola