Gendered Gari/Eba product profile in Nigeria

The WP1 Gendered Food Product Profile for Gari-Eba in Nigeria reflects the final step (step 5) of an interdisciplinary five-step methodology developed to identify demand for quality characteristics among diverse user groups along the food chain (Forsythe et al., 2022). This methodology includes: step 1) interdisciplinary state of knowledge of the product ; step 2) gendered food mapping, which includes participatory research with men and women in rural communities regarding their product preferences and priorities; step 3) participatory processing diagnosis and quality characteristics ; and step 4) consumer studies in rural and urban areas of the product using different RTB varieties. Results from step 1 and 2 have been published in Robert Ndjouenkeu, Franklin Ngoualem Kegah, Béla Teeken, Benjamin Okoye, Tessy Madu, Olamide Deborah Olaosebikan, Ugo Chijioke, Abolore Bello, Adebowale Oluwaseun Osunbade, Durodola Owoade, Noel Hubert Takam-Tchuente, Esther Biaton Njeufa, Isabelle Linda Nguiadem Chomdom, Lora Forsythe, Busie Maziya-Dixon & Geneviève Fliedel (2021). From cassava to Gari: mapping of quality characteristics and end-user preferences in Cameroon and Nigeria. International Journal of Food science and Technology, 56(3), 1223-1238. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijfs.14790. The WP1 Gendered Food Product Profile for Gari-Eba in Nigeria has been agreed by a multidisciplinary team based on the evidence collected on preferred quality characteristics at each step and assessed for their potential harm and benefit for women, based on an adapted G+ tool (publication pending by Forsythe et al.).  The cassava breeding product profile for Gari-Eba has to to align with the traits demanded by producers as well as processors and consumers especially because the Gari-Eba food product includes so many labour and energy demanding processing stages. RTB foods work package 1 research activities therefore included literature review, surveys with all value chain actors, participatory processing and consumer testing to illicit key traits important for especially processors and consumers in high cassava producing and consuming states in the Southwest (Osun) and North Central (Benue). A triangulation of all the data obtained prioritized key quality characteristics/traits (PQT). At pre-harvest these are early bulking, weed competitiveness, dry matter stability, and stem storability; at harvest (raw root stage) these are high yield with good root size/shape, high dry matter and multiple use of cassava. High dry matter and its stability cut across all the evaluations stages. During processing, PQTs include minimal processing drudgery (including ease of peeling), non-discolouration and product yield. For the Gari intermediate and Eba final product, colour and amount of swelling are both important while texture is crucial to Eba. Gender impact scores per trait validate that the top PQTs are all essential-must have traits from a gender perspective across the various stages. For instance, the multiple product-use of cassava enables men and especially women to make choices related to profit, household food needs, and different workload involved for different final products. There might be trade-offs in simultaneously stressing traits majorly important for women. Triangulated results complement earlier evidence (Teeken et al., 2020, https://doi.org/10.1111/ijfs.14862) indicating that in cultures that use more fermentation there could be a trade-off between high yield and dry matter on the one hand and food product quality on the other. Concerning processing drudgery, there seems to be a trade-off with regards to ease of peeling. High dry matter roots are often less easy to peel and this less easiness to peel is often considered by processors as an indication that the root has less water, so is positively appreciated. Further inquiry is needed into the relation between drudgery, quantity related traits (dry matter, dry matter stability, field yield, food product yield), food product quality and root quality (security). PQTs at each processing stage and the corresponding gender impact scenario information with regards to positive benefits and possible harm to actors engaged in the cassava VC activities, are crucial to inform socially inclusive breeding strategies.

尼日利亚加里-埃巴（Gari-Eba）性别敏感型食品产品概况（WP1），对应跨学科五步研究方法的第五步，该方法由Forsythe等人于2022年提出，旨在识别食品供应链上不同用户群体对优质产品特性的需求。该方法包含以下环节：步骤1）产品相关知识的跨学科梳理；步骤2）性别敏感型食品图谱绘制，该环节包含与农村社区男女群体开展参与式研究，了解其对产品的偏好与优先诉求；步骤3）参与式加工诊断与优质特性分析；步骤4）利用不同RTB品种开展的城乡消费者研究。
步骤1与步骤2的研究成果已发表于：Robert Ndjouenkeu、Franklin Ngoualem Kegah、Béla Teeken、Benjamin Okoye、Tessy Madu、Olamide Deborah Olaosebikan、Ugo Chijioke、Abolore Bello、Adebowale Oluwaseun Osunbade、Durodola Owoade、Noel Hubert Takam-Tchuente、Esther Biaton Njeufa、Isabelle Linda Nguiadem Chomdom、Lora Forsythe、Busie Maziya-Dixon 与 Geneviève Fliedel（2021）。《从木薯到加里：喀麦隆与尼日利亚的优质特性及终端用户偏好图谱》，《国际食品科学与技术期刊》（International Journal of Food Science and Technology），56(3)，1223-1238。https://doi.org/10.1111/ijfs.14790。
尼日利亚加里-埃巴（Gari-Eba）性别敏感型食品产品概况（WP1），经多学科团队基于各环节收集的优质偏好特性证据达成共识，并经适配版G+工具（G+ tool）评估了其对女性群体的潜在利弊（Forsythe等人相关论文待发表）。
加里-埃巴的木薯育种产品概况需与生产者、加工者及消费者的需求性状保持一致，尤其因为加里-埃巴食品涉及诸多劳动密集且能耗较高的加工环节。因此，RTB食品研究工作组1的研究活动涵盖文献综述、与所有价值链参与者开展的调研、参与式加工及消费者测试，以挖掘尼日利亚西南部奥孙州（Osun）以及中北部贝努埃州（Benue）——这两个木薯主产与消费大州——的加工者与消费者尤为看重的关键性状。
对所有获取的数据进行三角验证后，确定了优先关键优质特性/性状（Prioritized Quality Characteristics, PQT）。收获前期的优先性状包括：早结薯、杂草竞争力、干物质稳定性以及茎秆耐贮性；收获期（鲜薯阶段）的优先性状包括：高产且薯块大小/形态优良、高干物质含量以及木薯多用途。高干物质含量及其稳定性贯穿所有评估环节。
加工阶段的优先性状包括：加工劳动强度最小化（含易剥皮性）、不变色以及产品得率。对于加里中间制品与埃巴最终制品，色泽与膨胀量均为重要指标，而质地对埃巴而言尤为关键。
各性状的性别影响评分验证表明：从性别视角来看，各环节的Top优先关键优质特性均为必备核心性状。例如，木薯的多用途特性可使男性群体，尤其是女性群体，在收益、家庭粮食需求以及不同终产品对应的工作量之间做出选择。
若同时强化对女性群体至关重要的性状，可能会存在权衡取舍。三角验证结果补充了此前的研究证据（Teeken等人，2020，https://doi.org/10.1111/ijfs.14862），该研究表明在更多依赖发酵工艺的文化中，高产与高干物质含量一方面可能与食品产品品质存在权衡取舍。
关于加工劳动强度，易剥皮性似乎存在相关权衡：高干物质含量的薯块通常更难剥皮，但加工者往往将这种较难剥皮的特性视为薯块含水量较低的表现，因此会给予正面评价。未来仍需进一步探究劳动强度、产量相关性状（干物质含量、干物质稳定性、田间产量、食品产品得率）、食品品质与薯块品质（食用安全性）之间的关联。
各加工阶段的优先关键优质特性，以及对应性别影响情景下的正向收益与对木薯价值链参与者可能造成的危害信息，对制定兼具社会包容性的育种策略至关重要。