Skip to content

Gender & Cropping in Sub-Saharan Africa: Wheat

EPAR RESEARCH BRIEF #36

Mon, 05/18/2009

AUTHORS: Jessica Henson Cagley; Georgine Yorgey; Marieka Klawitter; Mary Kay Gugerty; C. Leigh Anderson

ABSTRACT: 

In the last half century, the increased opportunity cost of women’s time in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has led to remarkable growth in the consumption of wheat and other easy-to-prepare staples. Wheat tends to be grown and processed on a large scale in SSA. Ethiopia (SSA’s largest producer of wheat) is the exception, where smallholders are responsible for 76% of total production. This brief provides an overview of the role of women in wheat production, and provides a framework for analyzing technology’s impact on women throughout the cropping cycle. We find that many constraints exist to adoption of improved wheat varieties by women. A review of improved wheat variety adoption in the developing world found that it takes 5-10 years after breeding to the release and another 5-10 years for full adoption, but this length of time has been found to be reduced with the use of participatory breeding, varietal selection, and gender analysis. By including women in every stage of development and planning of new technologies, programs can become more aware of the needs of targeted women and therefore, increase adoption rates and improve the productivity of men and women in wheat farming.

This brief is part of a series of literature reviews exploring gender implications of improved cropping technology in Sub-Saharan Africa. Each crop-specific paper explores the role of women in production, and provides a framework for analyzing technology’s impact on women throughout the cropping cycle. Click the links below to explore the other briefs in this series.

  • Gender & Cropping in Sub-Saharan Africa: Executive Summary (EPAR Research Brief #64)
  • Gender & Cropping in Sub-Saharan Africa: Overview (EPAR Research Brief #33)
  • Gender & Cropping in Sub-Saharan Africa: Rice (EPAR Research Brief #27)
  • Gender & Cropping in Sub-Saharan Africa: Cassava (EPAR Research Brief #32)
  • Gender & Cropping in Sub-Saharan Africa: Maize (EPAR Research Brief #38)
  • Gender & Cropping in Sub-Saharan Africa: Sorghum (EPAR Research Brief #39)
  • Gender & Cropping in Sub-Saharan Africa: Millet (EPAR Research Brief #40)
  • Gender & Cropping in Sub-Saharan Africa: Yams (EPAR Research Brief #51)
  • Gender & Cropping in Sub-Saharan Africa: Cotton (EPAR Research Brief #55)

TYPE OF RESEARCH: Research Brief

RESEARCH TOPIC CATEGORY: Sustainable Agriculture & Rural Livelihoods; Agricultural Inputs & Farm Management; Market & Value Chain Analysis; Labor & Time Use; Gender; Technology; Technology Adoption

POPULATION(S): Women

GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS: Sub-Saharan Africa

Downloadable Documents

Full Brief