A case study design was adopted to examine gendered cassava trait preferences identified through commercial seed businesses in Nigeria. Case studies are empirical inquiries that research contemporary issues within their real-life contexts by using one or multiple cases in a setting that can be a bounded system (Yin, 2013; Creswell, 2014). The multiple case study approach allows the researcher to focus on one issue but selects multiple cases to illustrate the issue that can be purposefully sampled from one site or several sites (Creswell, 2014). In a case study design, multiple data sources are used that result from detailed, in-depth data collection (Creswell, 2014). We, therefore, utilized a multiple case study approach by conducting key informant interviews and a review and analysis of secondary datasets with case study participants purposively selected from IITA GoSeed and Umudike seeds in Nigeria. These two enterprises were selected because of their close relationship to the breeding program, which, through research, has already identified many gendered crop user trait preferences.

As part of the cassava breeding initiative, two private seed companies, namely IITA GoSeed and Umudike Seeds, were set up. They both aim to produce, commercialize, and promote ICVs, focusing on formal seed exchange channels for high-quality breeder and foundation/early generation seeds (EGS). IITA GoSeed and Umudike Seeds were founded in 2019 and 2018, respectively, with the responsibility of producing, promoting, and selling certified early-generation seeds of the improved crop varieties bred by IITA and NRCRI, other CGIAR Centers, and the cooperating NARS (Legg et al., 2022). IITA GoSeed was established with support from the BASICS project, managed by the CGIAR Research Program on Root Tubers and Bananas (CRP-RTB) (Wossen et al., 2020; Legg et al., 2022). Umudike Seeds is a private seed company established by the National Root Crop Research Institute as part of its sustainability strategy for BASICS to promote the development of the formal root and tuber crop seed system in Nigeria. The BASICS project aimed to give farmers access to affordable, quality-assured seeds. NRCRI, with its affiliated seed company, Umudike Seeds, also institutionalized this formal seed exchange of improved cassava varieties for wider reach among cassava growers (Legg et al., 2022) in Nigeria. These IITA and NRCRI-affiliated seed companies are Nigeria's primary producers of EGS cassava. Early generation seed production and distribution are the primary means of disseminating ICVs into the formal seed system and are supervised by the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) (2022), the seed regulatory authority in Nigeria. Both seed companies were created to produce and supply EGS to a community of seed entrepreneurs comprising individuals, farmer groups, cooperatives, NGOs, and cassava agro-industries with an affordable, quality-assured seed of varieties in demand by local food and processor markets (Bentley et al., 2020; Legg et al., 2022).

We employed both primary and secondary data, which comprised quantitative and qualitative data sets. First, we conducted a review of previous studies conducted by IITA and national partners, such as NRCRI, over the past decade. These studies were undertaken to examine cassava trait preferences at each node of the cassava value chain. They focused on understanding the trait preferences of cassava value chain actors, associated gender roles, constraints, and opportunities to improve cassava breeding and meet the needs of end users. Most of these studies were implemented by an transdisciplinary team comprising cassava breeders, social and gender scientists, agricultural economists, anthropologists, extension/rural sociologists, and food scientists in IITA-Nigeria and NARS partner (NRCRI). These studies were conducted under various projects such as HarvestPlus, NextGen Cassava, BASICS, RTBFoods, and the Cassava Monitoring Survey (CMS) in collaboration with the CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers, and Bananas. These studies focused on understanding the trait preferences of cassava value chain actors, associated gender roles, constraints, and opportunities to improve cassava breeding and meet the needs of end users.

Second, we conducted key informant interviews (KIIs) with IITA GoSeed and Umudike Seeds staff who were involved in the implementation of both companies' activities to better understand the feedback they got on cassava seed traits of interest to women and men producers, sellers, farmers, and processors. A total of six key informants—three women and three men—participated in the study. For Umudike Seeds, these included the director of research of NRCRI, the general manager of Umudike Seeds, and the Seed Manager. For IITA GoSeed, we spoke to the cassava seed systems specialist, IITA research supervisor, and senior research supervisor. The KIIs were held between June and September 2023 using the developed interview guide. All KIIs were interactive discussions conducted virtually and in person and lasted about one and a half hour per person. In addition, an analysis of sales and unpublished annual reports shared by the two seed companies was done to identify gendered trends in ICV seed demands (Table 1). Figure 1 shows the different gender research initiatives and studies conducted within the IITA/NRCRI cassava breeding program to evaluate women's and men's preferences and its contributions to releasing ICVs for IITA GoSeed and Umudike Seeds formal system activities.

Quantitative data was analyzed descriptively. The qualitative data from the notes was organized and analyzed using content analysis. Excerpts from these interviews have been quoted here to complement the explanations of the quantitative results and discussions.

BASICS created a formal cassava seed system in Nigeria involving the production of early-generation seed (breeder seed, foundation seed, and commercial seed). Both companies (IITA GoSeed and Umudike Seeds) worked with other seed companies/seed producers under BASICS II (2020–2025) to produce released varieties. It was a shared effort of IITA and NRCRI to meet the demand for certified seed (Wossen et al., 2020). This case study documentation references the three seed classes in compliance with the National Seed Standards in Nigeria as developed by the NASC. Breeder and foundation seeds are referred to as early generation seeds (EGS) belonging to the first and second levels of seed class; the certified variety is the third class; and all three classes are approved for sale by NASC. The breeder seed is the first class of seeds developed by breeders with high genetic purity and high integrity of vegetative propagating material under the authorized breeder's control. The foundation seed is the first generation of seed produced from breeder seeds. Registered seed companies/producers usually produce foundation seed. The commercial seed is a certified progeny from the foundation seed (IITA, 2020).

The objective of BASIC II is to consolidate and expand the seed production activities that started under BASICS I. It includes partners such as Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) (2016), NASC-Nigerian seed certification agency, NRCRI and its affiliated Umudike Seeds, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), and Sahel Consulting Agriculture and Nutrition Limited. Under BASICS I, much of the cassava seeds were produced by VSEs (village seed entrepreneurs), who were often smallholders and could grow whatever varieties they wanted (Bentley et al., 2020). Another category of farmers (outgrowers) was selected through advertisements on social media (Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook) and was not specifically chosen from the existing VSEs. One of the key requirements for selection was that outgrowers had to have a farm of at least five hectares. GoSeed gave the individual outgrowers free stems of improved varieties to plant on a minimum of five hectares and agreed to buy back the harvested stems. The outgrowers were responsible for the cultivation and maintenance of the farm. Only four women were registered as outgrowers, along with 60 men. Because outgrowers were chosen based on their interest and access to the required acres of land and other resources, GoSeed's minimum 5-hectare requirement per person prevented many interested women from participating in the program and producing seeds (Legg et al., 2022). In addition, the digital platform designed to support cassava seed producers (Seed Tracker) required a smartphone to link seed production datasets with other seed value chain actors (www.seedtracker.org/cassava), which many resource-poor women did not have. Hence, women were mostly excluded as outgrower participants. Out of the small number women who initially participated in the outgrowers scheme with GoSeed, only one woman was able to continue working with IITA GoSeed due to different capacities and capabilities that influenced their contribution to the scale-out processes. This woman owned 40 hectares of cassava land in Benue State (personal communication, GoSeed specialist, manager, and principal officer). Very few women could become outgrowers, as they were often constrained by poor access to land and capital, combined with insecurity created by attacks from herders who deliberately allowed their cattle to graze and destroy cassava fields.

To be more inclusive and address the gap in women's participation in the outgrowers scheme/initiatives, cluster and cooperative farming managed by a group lead was encouraged among women. The aim was for them to form an outgrowers/seed producer group with a minimum land requirement of five hectares as set by NASC. This strategy involved forming clusters of cooperative farming involving several interested smallholder women with combined land acres fulfilling NASC requirements to acquire certified documents. A similar outgrower model was introduced in Akwa-Ibom. Most of the GoSeed outgrowers were wealthier men who had access to land resources and, to a lesser extent, women managing cooperative farming and cluster farming to gain larger farm access. The NASC, as a partner in the BASICS project, worked with the VSEs to involve village women as seed producers and customers, to give them a voice in deciding which new varieties were adopted, and to create a more guaranteed source of seed for the improved varieties they wanted; however, the core responsibility of NASC in the project was to ensure the development of regulatory standards and usher all categories of stems producers into the formal seed sector. NASC was also made responsible for developing sustainable strategies for field/seed inspections and certification to ensure continuity after the project ends. Although most of the improved varieties performed better than the local varieties cultivated by the VSEs in terms of yield, the women still kept their preferred local varieties, which had some unique food product quality. This is why breeders wish to evaluate the quality profile of the local preferred varieties to inform breeding food product profiles.

The following characterization of promoted varieties under this section is obtained from IITA GoSeed and Umudike Seeds staff based on conversations with the company's personnel and the IITA GoSeed and Umudike Seeds sales data and feedback; it, therefore, represents the point of view of both companies.

Most processors preferred the variety TME419, a landrace sourced from Togo and released in Nigeria (IITA Genebank, n.d.; Ezui et al., 2017; Wossen et al., 2017b; Dixon et al., n.d.) because of its important traits: erect plants with robust stems (meaning that they can still sprout in the field after a period of drought) having good yield and high dry matter (minimal water in the roots) while providing good food product yield and quality. TME419, among other recently released varieties, has traits that both men and women prefer. Women are motivated to sell seeds of new varieties with high market demand to generate income in addition to growing and processing cassava, corresponding with the findings by Owoade (2023). TME419 is a disease and pest-resistant variety with good vigor. It yields more than 25 tons per hectare (Owoseni et al., 2021) and produces high-quality staple foods such as gari, fufu, semolina, etc. It also has good to medium poundable qualities (suitable for boiling and eating) and high starch content, which is ideal for domestic and industrial production. This makes it a real multipurpose variety. Multipurpose use was also identified as one of the most important crop user-preferred traits in the study by Ndjouenkeu et al. (2021). Its suitability for domestic and industrial purposes makes it relevant to both men and women.

Farmer's Pride and Game Changer are particularly sold to women VSEs by both IITA GoSeed and Umudike Seeds, which evidences gender inclusion in selecting these varieties and has provided both seed companies with positive feedback from men and women in southwest and southeast Nigeria. Farmers named the varieties “Game Changer” and “Farmer's Pride” themselves after experiencing high yields. Farmers were proud of these varieties, which were established rapidly after planting and could withstand strong winds without falling, even though the plants were tall (IITA, 2020). Table 2 lists both companies' varieties and their attributes. Poundable (TMEB 693), a landrace sourced from farmers in Ghana (Rabbi et al., 2015), was released in Nigeria for its suitability for boiling and pounding without elaborate labor and firewood demand for processing. Farmers often prefer cassava varieties that can simply be boiled and pounded as a cheaper substitute for yam. The variety grows vigorously high, with good canopy formation and stems that are easy to transport to market. The Dixon variety has red petioles with a typical erect pattern. It is resistant to drought and retains its leaves without withering, even at the peak of the dry season. It grows on sandy-loam soil and is good for food products such as gari and fufu. It also provides edible leaves for cassava soup. Women processors appreciate the Dixon variety because it is easy to peel and yields more than local varieties. The Fine Face variety is preferred due to its yield and exceptional morphological appearance of leaves and stem color during growth. It forms a good canopy, reduces expenses on weed management, and supports mechanization.

Understanding the demand trend of varieties is important for their success in the market. The four main varieties in demand at Umudike Seeds are Game Changer, TME 419, Dixon, and Yellow Roots (IBA070593 and IBA011368). Each of these varieties has unique characteristics that cater to the specific needs and preferences of farmers and consumers, as already outlined. Game Changer and TME 419 are particularly popular due to their high starch content, high dry matter and high dry matter stability, and robust growth of roots. These traits make them desirable for farmers looking to maximize their yields and produce high-quality roots for successive processing. The high starch content is important for various applications, such as food processing and industrial use. Additionally, the robust growth of roots ensures better nutrient uptake and overall plant health, leading to improved yields. The Dixon and Yellow Roots varieties also offer advantages that appeal to different customer segments. These responses from different customer segments on specific traits and characteristics of each variety allow Umudike Seeds company to tailor their marketing strategies and production focus to meet the diverse needs of their customers more effectively. The variety named Ayaya (meaning “beautiful”) was released in 2020 because the roots could remain in the ground for many months after it had matured; the plant ratooned well and had erect, multiple sprouts within a plot, and formed a canopy to assist weed control. Improved varieties such as Farmer's Pride and Obasanjo-2 have spreading canopies and were selected by women to reduce weeding expenses (IITA, 2020). These varieties have a high, stable starch content and are suitable for mechanized farming systems. With these, seed producers target the industrial processing of cassava into flour and starch.

IITA GoSeed and Umudike Seeds reported brisk sales for TME419, which provides good food product yield and thus limits drudgery during processing (Figures 3A, B). Forsythe et al. (2016), Teeken et al. (2021a), Bouniol et al. (2023), and Bello et al. (2024) have also noted the importance of this gendered trait. IITA GoSeed and Umudike Seeds noticed the strong market demand for certain other traits as well, e.g., umbrella shape (branching at a height of about 1.5 meters), broad canopy, good ratooning ability (stalks that sprout after cut-back), straight plants (allowing easy stem transportation), roots that store well in the ground, facilitating staggered piece meal harvesting based on demand preferred by men and women, and root-rot resistance. The seed companies communicated these qualities to the breeding unit to include in future varieties development and trait prioritization. The seed companies' sales data in 2022 suggest that TME419 is an important prolific variety in Nigeria. It has to be noted that sales do not fully represent demand, as sales are often influenced by what is available. GoSeed staff indicated that the demand for improved varieties was often greater than what could be supplied, and buyers end up purchasing a second-choice variety. IITA Go Seed sometimes bought seeds from other seed producers if their supply could not meet the demand. Figures 2A, B show high seed sales of TME419 to VSEs by IITA GoSeed and Umudike Seeds, respectively. The higher preference or sale of TME 419 can be attributed to more awareness and length of years of diffusions, as one of the earliest improved varieties released since 2005, ahead of Poundable, Game Changer, Baba-70, Obasanjo2, which were released in 2020. The other varieties are starting to compete with TME419 due to demand from customers who ordered improved early-generation seeds. Based on the feedback from men and women on these varieties, there has been rapid production to meet the demand. The supply capacity for each variety, estimated based on the hectares grown for seed production (Supplementary data file and Figure 4), was most often higher than the sales.

Due to the popularity and repeated demand of TME419, relatively newer varieties, such as Ayaya, Game Changer, Farmer's Pride, and Dixon, are expected to compete successfully with this well-known variety, as they also have traits that the value chain demands (Table 2). Figures 2A, B show that Game Changer and Farmer's Pride seem to be more popular among women, contrary to TME419, which is sold more to men than women SVEs. This indicates a comparative advantage of these varieties, such as the umbrella-shaped architecture and leaf retention, that improve weed competitiveness, as well as higher dry matter and dry matter stability combined with good food product quality and processability (Bello et al., 2024; Olaosebikan et al., 2024).

Early Generation Seed trends at Umudike Seeds provide valuable insights into the demand patterns for different varieties of cassava seeds over three years: 2021 and 2022 (2023 only partial) in the southeast and southwest regions. The demand for the Poundable variety (with a very limited supply and thus limited sales in Figure 3A indicates its popularity among farmers. This suggests that poundable cassava seeds are preferred for cultivation due to their added value of being boilable and poundable in a region where poundable varieties have almost been forgotten and mostly associated with varieties that were grown there before but have vanished, combined with reasonable yield disease resistance, or other desirable traits. Rabbi et al. (2015) selected Poundable (TMEB 693), a landrace from Ghana with special culinary potential, which can be boiled and eaten and has moderate yield. The variety is more resilient to diseases and pests than the older fresh market varieties with similar characteristics. Some farmers and hired laborers in eastern, southern, and western Nigeria were reported to prefer sweet cassava varieties that can be boiled despite their lower yield (Nweke et al., 1994). Women prefer Poundable because of its fresh consumption qualities such as softness and mealiness with a sweet taste; it can be fed to children and to farm laborers after roasting or cooking as a substitute for yam, which is more expensive. Based on this, breeders promoted and encouraged cassava buyers, seed companies, and community seed producers to grow and sell certified Poundable seeds as a variety that could be used in the fresh produce market. The variety has promising potential to reduce hunger among children from displaced households in conflict-prone zones (Olaosebikan et al., 2023). This is because it can be consumed without laborious processing that is required for the dominant bitter varieties in the southern half of Nigeria (Nweke et al., 1994).

However, contrary to GoSeed, there was no demand for Ayaya in 2021–2022 but more so for Yellow Root cassava varieties (UMUCASS 36 and Sunshine). This is because Umudike Seeds is located in a region where men and women prefer consumption of gari with a yellow color appearance (usually achieved by adding palm oil). The Yellow Root varieties target elevated levels of carotenoids for dietary improvement and economizing on palm oil. The demand for Yellow Roots is a great motivation for biofortification in breeding programs for sustainable food security and improving nutrition. Some outgrowers who demand Yellow Roots target buyers' demand for high-yielding varieties tailored toward the robust root, high starch, and dry matter. Introducing a Poundable Yellow Root would further increase nutrition and food security impact because more elaborate processing and longer storage time under high temperatures are related to the loss of the carotenoids (Bechoff et al., 2015).

For IITA GoSeed, the demand for some of the newer varieties is growing consistently, while the sales of Poundable, Obasanjo-2, and Yellow Roots are very low (Figure 4).

The production of Poundable seeds has rapidly increased to meet specific demand in Niger state (northern region), where boiled cassava is referred to as rogo. Obasanjo-2 was among the varieties chosen after crop user preference studies based on high yield, suitability for gari, fufu product quality, and starch quality content. However, Fine Face performed rather low on food product quality in our processing and food product quality evaluation with women processors (Teeken et al., 2021a). This was also confirmed by a staff at IITA cassava breeding charged with making fufu and gari-eba from late-stage breeding products (Personal communication Rachael Ukpebor) especially when processing includes longer fermentation as practiced in the southwest.

Table 3 illustrates the increasing demand for breeder and foundation seeds for some newly released varieties, while commercial seeds are licensed to seed grower companies. Therefore, EGS producer companies rarely sell commercial seeds. It has to be noted that in relation to Supplementary data file and Figure 4, sales figures were influenced by the availability of the seed varieties rather than accurately reflecting the demand for each variety. The increase in sales with time is partly a result of this (Table 3 and Figures 3A, B). This suggests that IITA GoSeed and Umudike seeds are sister institutes having individual control over sales of EGS varieties (foundation or breeder seeds) that respond to meet market demand when they receive a prior financial commitment on a specific seed variety to make available sufficient quantities of seed of that variety. Otherwise, the available varieties in production are pushed to meet the demand requests. Figure 4 and Table 3 illustrate how IITA GoSeed and Umudike Seeds EGS production and IITA GoSeed seed sales have worked through other seed grower companies as the surfaces cultivated by these other seed grower companies are not included in the total production estimates. This suggests a form of economic benefit to the village seed producers to sustainably produce high-quality cassava stems, enhancing their livelihood and contributing to local economic growth. In seed request and demand, an approach of taking seed stems from certified seed producers is usually applied to answer seed requests whenever IITA GoSeed has no production for such a demanded variety.

Seed supply of high-quality products provides substantial new income-generating opportunities for farmers. The production process ensures that high-quality seed materials follow the certification process guide. Under standard certification of commercial seed systems production of quality assurance, a hectare of cassava multiplication field is established using stem cuttings of 20–25 cm planted at 1 m inter-row spacing by 0.5 m intra-row spacing to produce 20,000 stands of cassava stems. A vigorous stake with a minimum diameter of 2 cm and a minimum of 5 to 7 cassava nodes is recommended to guarantee a high sprouting rate, even if other buds are damaged during cutting and movement. About 400 bundles of cassava are harvested from one hectare. A bundle consists of 50 stems of 1 meter length. Stems are harvested (ratooned) more than once for eight months. The noticeable demand for TME419 in 2022 suggests its importance and acceptance in the market over time. Understanding the reasons behind the fluctuating demand for other varieties such as Game Changer and Dixon can provide insights into changing farmer preferences or market dynamics. The general increase in demand from 2021 to 2022 indicates growth in the cassava seed market. This could be due to factors such as increased awareness, promotional activities, improved seed quality, or favorable weather conditions to facilitate several planting times in one year. While the 2023 data is incomplete, the emerging demand patterns hint at shifting preferences or market forces.

As partly illustrated in Figures 2A, B, assessing varieties and traits of relevance to women and men requires value chain and gender-disaggregated data to focus on varieties that will be demanded by seed enterprises. Focusing on the value chain and gender disaggregated data enhances the potential of the cassava breeders not only to limit their focus to production attributes but also to consider processing, consumption, and marketing attributes to address the needs of the different actors in the cassava value chain. Due to gender-inclusive research implemented by the cassava breeding program, recently released varieties have been selected to include prioritized gender-essential/must-have traits, mainly based on late-stage evaluations with users. Social science research brings ideas from men and women in the different market segments to breeders, which makes it easier to understand the specific needs and preferences of both men and women, leading to increased use of new varieties.

Apart from the extensive social and gender science research related to a variety of trait preferences carried out by IITA and NRCRI, the IITA GoSeed and Umudike Seeds activities have also allowed for concrete, gender-responsive feedback from users that made both seed companies more customer-conscious, inclusive and user-focused. It is therefore recommended to integrate social science and gender action research into IITA GoSeed and Umudike Seeds operations. Giving more attention to meeting users' needs and preferences is also an important consideration that can help cassava breeders to increase income, health, and food security (Bechoff et al., 2017). The inclusion of crop users themselves, instead of only market specialists and social scientists, to represent them, has given breeders accurate information about traits preferred by end-users and confirmed and added to what was already identified by the social and gender research within Nigerian cassava breeding. This contributes to the release process of improved cassava varieties during the variety release process and stakeholders' decision process, such as product advancement meetings (Madu et al., 2024). While direct consultation with users seems common, there is however a notable lack of documentation among breeders on involving users as stakeholders in product advancement meetings (Cavicchioli et al., 2023). Including crop users as stakeholders, in addition to social scientists and market specialists, has been identified as a crucial need in further developing a scalable transdisciplinary management system for cassava breeding in Africa (Egesi et al., 2024).

Seed business activities must play a role in research to provide feedback to drive the selection of new commercial varieties. This is important within the context of an emerging seed business in which farmers look for specific outstanding varieties with valuable traits that are not easily obtainable from friends or neighbors and for which they are willing to pay as part of an upcoming, more formal seed system. To further increase research impact and effectiveness, the business of IITA GoSeed and Umudike Seeds constitute excellent platforms for social science, participatory, and transdisciplinary action research. This can help strengthen and generate social/gender inclusive market segmentation and thus breeding investment cases in relation to the One CGIAR social impact areas (Donovan et al., 2022).

The finding that weed resistance and branching stem traits are important gendered traits, underscores the significance of these characteristics in cassava root productivity and stem enterprises. A branching stem can contribute to reduced weed suppression and improved root yield and can be ratooned. These traits align with previous research findings and highlight the need for continued emphasis on developing cassava varieties with these attributes to support farmers, especially women farmers and processors.

Cassava varieties that are suitable for food processing are crucial, especially in regions where cassava food products such as gari-eba and fufu are staples and consumed daily. Traits such as easy to peel, fast toasting, retaining color, and facilitating ease of processing can significantly impact the efficiency and sustainability of cassava-based food systems. Gender-inclusive research recognizes these traits as vital contributors to addressing community food security and nutrition challenges.

The identification of ratooning ability as a new trait is pertinent. Ratooning replaces new, missing, or destroyed cassava field plots or for stem sales to generate more income and food security. Understanding its importance, particularly from a gender, social, and climatic resilience perspective (Olaosebikan et al., 2023), can guide efforts to develop and promote resilient cassava varieties. The demand for sweet/mealy/poundable cassava varieties that only require boiling and thus minimal processing for consumption is an important consumer preference in an environment where bitter varieties dominate (Nweke et al., 1994) and that require labor and resource-intensive processing. This preference aligns with the need for convenience and efficiency in food preparation, especially in women's roles within households. Gender-aware research can guide breeding focus on sweet cassava varieties that cater to these preferences.

The limited seed demand for Poundable from GoSeed, the company that mainly serves the southwest region of Nigeria, reflects the small fresh market niche segment. Furthermore, Poundable cassava is important in research as a continual parent line introgressed into biofortified cassava to create Poundable biofortified cassava retaining more of its carotenoids when consumed boiled or pounded. Usually, Poundable varieties are cultivated on small portions of land for culinary purposes to substitute yam. IITA GoSeed and Umudike Seeds would benefit from an adoption and diffusion study with regard to these varieties. The increasing sales of Game Changer and Farmers' Pride, especially among women, reflect the suitability of these varieties for women and reflects the gender integration in selecting Game Changer for variety release, while tricot citizen science participatory variety selection however shows the popularity of Baba-70 among women (Teeken et al., 2023).

These gendered cassava seed traits and preferences underscore the importance of gender-inclusive research in informing cassava breeding with regard to customer and product profiling and trait prioritization. This importance goes beyond serving women's needs but benefits the whole value chain as many women set various quality standards because men and women sell their cassava to women processors. By recognizing and addressing the specific needs and preferences of both men and women farmers, processors, consumers, and stem sellers, more sustainable and resilient cassava-based agrifood systems that benefit cassava value chain actors and other stakeholders can be developed.