Gender differential in choices of crop variety traits and climate-smart cropping systems:Insights from sorghum and millet farmers in drought-prone areas of Malawi

Societal Impact Statement: There has been limited research regarding the roles of gender and social networks in climate adaptation in African agriculture. The study examines how gender and climate risk awareness influence sorghum and pearl millet farmers' varietal trait and cropping system choices in Malawi. The findings reveal gender disparities in choices of crop variety characteristics. For male farmers, decisions on variety traits are primarily guided by quantity and economic benefits, while women focus on post-harvest quality and grain handling attributes. This work provides insights for developing gender-responsive crop varieties and climate-smart cropping practices tailored to societal needs and relations. Summary: Climate-resilient crop varieties and cropping systems are required to manage climate variability and to adapt to the increasing climate risks across Africa. Integrating gender perspectives on cropping technologies will assist in accelerating crop adaptation programs. Here, we focus on understanding gender-differentiated trait preferences and decision-making on cropping practices of sorghum and pearl millet producers in southern Malawi. The study employs a convergent mixed research methods design in which both quantitative and qualitative data were collected, analyzed, and interpreted. Our analysis reveals clear gender differences and preferences in crop traits and cropping systems. Male farmers prefer traits based on economic gains, notably yield and grain size. Female farmers target characteristics based on both agronomic and post-harvest grain characteristics to ensure the sustainability of household food intake. We also identify gender inequalities in decision-making regarding crop production practices and preferential access to knowledge in favor of male farmers. We show that gender norms and climate risk knowledge influence farmers' decision-making in selecting crop traits and practices, as well as accessibility to resources. Gendered inequality in decision-making goes beyond cropping practices to socially constructed rules of resource accessibility and restricted mobility. We conclude that efforts to improve crop adaptation and resilience to climate change in vulnerable dryland regions must pay greater attention to the processes and relations between gender and climate change knowledge bases.