Gender‐Disaggregated Analysis of Sweetpotato Cultivation and Consumption in the Volta Region of Ghana

Abstract

Women and men play a significant role in the cultivation and utilization of food crops. This study highlights the influence of gender on the cultivation and consumption of sweetpotato. The study employed cross-sectional purposive and simple random sampling techniques to select 300 respondents from three district capitals of the Volta region of Ghana. From the results, land preparation, planting, weeding and fertilizer application are dominated by men, while women are more involved in harvesting (34%) and marketing (74.3%). Gender preferences showed that women like the orange-fleshed variety more than men. More women household heads (40%) and individuals (32.2%) frequently consume sweetpotatoes compared to men, 31.1% and 26.6%, respectively. The consumption was linked to affordability, accessibility and preference. The smell of the sweetpotato strongly influenced the consumption pattern. Flour was the most preferred food product by women, while chips (frozen) were liked by men. The form of eating sweetpotato was positively correlated with the level of education, marital status and age, with significance at <i>p</i> < 0.05. Generally, the cultivation of sweetpotatoes in the districts is declining. Production and consumption intervention strategies such as policy implementation and nutrition education programs are crucial for increasing the consumption of sweetpotato. This is particularly important for the orange-fleshed variety, enhancing food security efforts.