Gendered Boiled Potato Product Profile in Uganda

The WP1 Gendered Food Product Profile for boiled potato in Uganda 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 Netsayi Noris Mudege, Sarah Mayanja, John Nyaga, Mariam Nakitto, Samuel Edgar Tinyiro, Damali Babirye Magala, Janet Cox Achora, Sarah Kisakye, David Bamwirire, Thiago Mendes & Tawanda Muzhingi (2021). Prioritising quality traits for gender-responsive breeding for boiled potato in Uganda. International Journal of Food science and Technology, 56(3), 1362-1375. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijfs.14840.

The WP1 Gendered Food Product Profile for potato in Uganda 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 final product profile for boiled potato consisted of most preferred or high quality raw, processing and final product quality characteristics as triangulated from the four steps namely; the state of knowledge, gendered food mapping, participatory processing diagnosis and consumer testing. These were prioritized and analysed for gender impact. The priority high quality raw material characteristics were; red skin colour, moderately big tuber size, yellow flesh colour, smooth skin, no damage, firm tuber and Good eyes (few eyes, shallow eye depth). During processing, priority was given to; easy to peel and cooks fast/easy to cook. Final product prioritization consisted of; moderately firm, mealy, good boiled potato taste, good boiled potato smell and yellow colour. After gender analysis, red skin colour and ‘no damages’ were deprioritized. Red skin characteristic is mainly associated with one potato variety (Rwangume) and access to information and planting materials are limited which makes the potential benefit hard to realise. Breeding for red skin would be limiting since there are other good characteristics beyond skin colour. Therefore, the women would not realise any significant benefit in breeding for red skin. On the other hand, damages to potato are mainly due to improper post-harvest handling, which occur in the process of packaging or transportation. It is not a genetic characteristic in potato varieties and breeders may not provide a viable solution for it. Therefore, potato damage presents a considerable harm as it increases drudgery. Mealy was classifies as ‘amend’ or ‘proceed with caution. Reason being that there was need for different levels of mealiness of potato to be available in the market because boiled potato can be processed into other products e‧g. mashed potato products. More breeding is still needed to come up with varying levels of mealiness to target the demand variation. For example, children prefer mashed; when potato is too mealy, it is not good for mashing. Nonetheless, mealy together with good boiled potato smell were classified as ‘nice to have’. Characteristics identified as essential or ‘must have’ from a gender perspective were; moderately big tuber size, yellow flesh colour, smooth skin, firm tuber (raw), good eyes (few eyes, shallow eye depth), easy to peel, cooks fast/easy to cook, moderately firm (boiled), good boiled potato taste. (2022-02-10)