Potential of egusi for food and nutrition security in northern Ghana: gender perspectives and social constructs underpinning cultivation and use
BackgroundUsing indigenous underutilized crops as a sustainable measure to mitigate food and nutrition insecurity is recommended globally. Few studies have explored the factors influencing the value placed on indigenous underutilized crops such as egusi in African food systems. Egusi, oleaginous edi...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1446681/full |
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| author | Abena Boakye Abena Boakye Mary Sefa Boampong Andrew John Dougill Andrew John Dougill David Akyen Theophilus Kwabla Tengey Charles Naapoal Addobea Addow Koranteng Agnes Mwangwela Heather Legodi William Otoo Ellis |
| author_facet | Abena Boakye Abena Boakye Mary Sefa Boampong Andrew John Dougill Andrew John Dougill David Akyen Theophilus Kwabla Tengey Charles Naapoal Addobea Addow Koranteng Agnes Mwangwela Heather Legodi William Otoo Ellis |
| author_sort | Abena Boakye |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundUsing indigenous underutilized crops as a sustainable measure to mitigate food and nutrition insecurity is recommended globally. Few studies have explored the factors influencing the value placed on indigenous underutilized crops such as egusi in African food systems. Egusi, oleaginous edible seeds of cucurbitaceous plants with inedible pulp, are cultivated for the seeds and commonly used in West African cuisines.ObjectiveThis study investigates the sociocultural importance of egusi and its value to nutrition and food security in growing communities of northern Ghana. It further explores the gender underpinnings and influences on egusi production and use and evaluates the strategies indigenous smallholder egusi farmers use to cope with the current climate dynamics.MethodsGender and age-differentiated Focus Group Discussions (10) and Key Informant interviews (14) were conducted in Chereponi and Kpandai Districts of northern Ghana.ResultsOur findings show that the primary factors influencing the premium placed on the crop(s) differ between males and females. There has also been a change in the social construct of egusi in recent years due to the impact of climate-induced food insecurities. For Chereponi which is relatively drier than Kpandai, egusi is now a must-farm crop if one’s household is to survive during lean seasons. It is no longer viewed as a woman’s crop. However, Kpandai, with a relatively wetter climate, has other cropping alternatives. A unanimous response from all study participants reveals latent functions of cultivating egusi, which includes children’s education and reduced financial burdens.ConclusionsThis study underscores how egusi plays critical roles in the nutrition and livelihood of Ghanaian communities and can be the starting point for tailored and extensive investigations on the value of egusi to both enhance climate resilience and sustainable nutrition. The findings further demonstrate the critical need for a comprehensive study of the foodscapes of malnourished communities to enable appropriate policy directives for sustainable nutrition interventions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2feb7a48b13f43c983c5d82faf70a270 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2571-581X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems |
| spelling | doaj-art-2feb7a48b13f43c983c5d82faf70a2702025-08-20T02:29:04ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems2571-581X2025-05-01910.3389/fsufs.2025.14466811446681Potential of egusi for food and nutrition security in northern Ghana: gender perspectives and social constructs underpinning cultivation and useAbena Boakye0Abena Boakye1Mary Sefa Boampong2Andrew John Dougill3Andrew John Dougill4David Akyen5Theophilus Kwabla Tengey6Charles Naapoal7Addobea Addow Koranteng8Agnes Mwangwela9Heather Legodi10William Otoo Ellis11Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaFood Systems Research Network for Africa (FSNET-Africa), University of Pretoria and University of Leeds, Pretoria, South AfricaDepartment of Sociology and Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaSchool of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United KingdomDepartment of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, United KingdomDepartment of Sociology and Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaCouncil for Scientific and Industrial Research-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI), Nyankpala, GhanaCouncil for Scientific and Industrial Research-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI), Nyankpala, GhanaDepartment of Food Science and Technology, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaDepartment of Food Science and Technology, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lilongwe, MalawiDepartment of Human Nutrition & Dietetics, School of Health Care Sciences, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South AfricaDepartment of Food Science and Technology, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaBackgroundUsing indigenous underutilized crops as a sustainable measure to mitigate food and nutrition insecurity is recommended globally. Few studies have explored the factors influencing the value placed on indigenous underutilized crops such as egusi in African food systems. Egusi, oleaginous edible seeds of cucurbitaceous plants with inedible pulp, are cultivated for the seeds and commonly used in West African cuisines.ObjectiveThis study investigates the sociocultural importance of egusi and its value to nutrition and food security in growing communities of northern Ghana. It further explores the gender underpinnings and influences on egusi production and use and evaluates the strategies indigenous smallholder egusi farmers use to cope with the current climate dynamics.MethodsGender and age-differentiated Focus Group Discussions (10) and Key Informant interviews (14) were conducted in Chereponi and Kpandai Districts of northern Ghana.ResultsOur findings show that the primary factors influencing the premium placed on the crop(s) differ between males and females. There has also been a change in the social construct of egusi in recent years due to the impact of climate-induced food insecurities. For Chereponi which is relatively drier than Kpandai, egusi is now a must-farm crop if one’s household is to survive during lean seasons. It is no longer viewed as a woman’s crop. However, Kpandai, with a relatively wetter climate, has other cropping alternatives. A unanimous response from all study participants reveals latent functions of cultivating egusi, which includes children’s education and reduced financial burdens.ConclusionsThis study underscores how egusi plays critical roles in the nutrition and livelihood of Ghanaian communities and can be the starting point for tailored and extensive investigations on the value of egusi to both enhance climate resilience and sustainable nutrition. The findings further demonstrate the critical need for a comprehensive study of the foodscapes of malnourished communities to enable appropriate policy directives for sustainable nutrition interventions.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1446681/fullunderutilized speciesindigenous cropsclimate changecucurbit seedsegusinutrition |
| spellingShingle | Abena Boakye Abena Boakye Mary Sefa Boampong Andrew John Dougill Andrew John Dougill David Akyen Theophilus Kwabla Tengey Charles Naapoal Addobea Addow Koranteng Agnes Mwangwela Heather Legodi William Otoo Ellis Potential of egusi for food and nutrition security in northern Ghana: gender perspectives and social constructs underpinning cultivation and use Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems underutilized species indigenous crops climate change cucurbit seeds egusi nutrition |
| title | Potential of egusi for food and nutrition security in northern Ghana: gender perspectives and social constructs underpinning cultivation and use |
| title_full | Potential of egusi for food and nutrition security in northern Ghana: gender perspectives and social constructs underpinning cultivation and use |
| title_fullStr | Potential of egusi for food and nutrition security in northern Ghana: gender perspectives and social constructs underpinning cultivation and use |
| title_full_unstemmed | Potential of egusi for food and nutrition security in northern Ghana: gender perspectives and social constructs underpinning cultivation and use |
| title_short | Potential of egusi for food and nutrition security in northern Ghana: gender perspectives and social constructs underpinning cultivation and use |
| title_sort | potential of egusi for food and nutrition security in northern ghana gender perspectives and social constructs underpinning cultivation and use |
| topic | underutilized species indigenous crops climate change cucurbit seeds egusi nutrition |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1446681/full |
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