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Molecular Anthropology of Cassava – a Cultural Ecology of Plant Varietal Preferences Linley Chiwona-Karltun

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Molecular Anthropology of Cassava – a Cultural Ecology of Plant Varietal Preferences Linley Chiwona-Karltun Om forskning Molecular anthropology of cassava – a cultural ecology of plant varietal preferences Linley Chiwona-Karltun Linley Chiwona-Karltun, PhD in International Health, Associate Professor in Rural Development. Researcher and lecturer, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SLU, Uppsala. E-post: [email protected] ”People like Hans Rosling face the criticism of being too superficial, it’s the dilemma of the public intellectual, academics who bridge several disciplines rather than excel at one” Peter Baylor, Baylor College of Medicine, USA on Hans Rosling, Nature 540, 330–333 (15 December 2016) doi:10.1038/540330a.) Molecular genetics has provided science with innovative tools for increasing food production. One of the legacies that Hans Rosling has left behind is under standing of cassava cyanogenesis and how molecular plant genetics could better contribute to the reversal of the “poverty, population and environment spiral” (PPE-spiral). This requires incorporating appropriate methods and tools for routine use in breeding programmes; with breeders in collaboration with interdisciplinary teams, farmers and more specifically female farmers. In other words, molecular anthropology, the combining of anthropological methods from the social sciences with biochemical methods in surveys. The combination of biological sciences with social sciences, in the understanding of cassava cyanogenesis could rapidly advance and be a cost effective way for understanding farmer varietal preferences and their needs for food security. While funding has improved somewhat, evidence shows that despite the central role that women play in provisioning household food security there remains a severe lack of integration of a critical gendered approach. Molekylär genetik har försett vetenskapen med innovativa verktyg för att öka matproduktionen. Något Hans Rosling lämnat efter sig är förståelse för hur kassava cyanogenes och molekylär växtgenetik bättre kan bidra till att stoppa den negativa fattigdoms-, befolknings- och miljöspiralen. Det kräver att man inför rutinmässig användning av lämpliga metoder och verktyg i avels program, där uppfödare samarbete med tvärvetenskapliga team och bönder, mer specifikt kvinnliga bönder. Molekylär antropologi är en kombination av antro- pologiska metoder från samhällsvetenskapen och biokemiska undersöknings- metoder. Denna kombinationen kan, när det gäller förståelsen av kassava- cyanogenesen, snabbt utvecklas och vara ett kostnadseffektivt sätt att förstå lantbrukarnas sortpreferenser och deras behov av livsmedelssäkerhet. Även om fi nansieringen har förbättrats något råder rådet alltjämt en allvarlig brist när det gäller att se det hela ur ett kritiskt könsperspektiv. Detta trots den centrala roll som kvinnor spelar för att säkra hushållens livsmedelsförsörjning. Socialmedicinsk tidskrift 6/2017 721 Om forskning Introduction continue to determine what roles women can play in crop production Several studies continue to show that and other functions (Quisumbing et there are differences in how men and al., 2014). This is further compoun- women select cassava varieties based ded by lack of participation as influ- on their various needs and preferen- enced by differential access to chain ces (Chiwona-Karltun et al., 2015, functions, services and resources, and Masamha et al., 2017, Christinck et by gender-related power disparities in al., 2017). Furthermore, evidence agro-commodities (Nakazibwe and shows that despite the central role that Pelupessy, 2014). In this paper, I revisit women play in provisioning house- the earlier work that I conducted to- hold food security there remains a gether with Hans Rosling on cassava severe lack of integration of a critical varietal plant preferences in Malawi to gendered analysis in the total accu- contribute to the ongoing debate on mulated research. This is particularly how gender determines the relative glaringly absent from commodity or importance of varietal traits and the value chains research (Andersson et selection of cultivars particularly for al., 2016, Dunaway, 2014). In his semi- household food security. While much nal work on molecular anthropology, work has been conducted on cassava Hans Rosling stated the following: since then, clearly there remains much work to be done when it comes “the mostly female farmer in the poorest to cassava, household food security communities can identify problems and and women’s participation as well as possible solutions for farming systems decision- influencing in cassava value researchers with downstream researchers. chains (Masamha et al., 2017). She can also contribute to upstream A recent review on gender diffe- research with a wealth of accumulated rential farmer varietal preferences, knowledge of the biological system she showed that men tend to focus more operates if the visiting researcher possess on production and market-related methods for collection of this biological traits while women focus more on knowledge. My limited experience of production and end-use related traits poor agricultural communities in Africa (Christinck et al., 2017). It is surpri- indicates that there, in addition to the sing that almost two decades later, research stream continuum is a place for these findings are no different from some rain-research” (Sobral 1996:316). our earlier work on farmer cassava preferences (Chiwona-Karltun et al., In my many years of research on and 1998). In the conclusions of the re- with cassava, I have come across view by Christinck et al., the authors few studies dedicated to identifying emphasize the importance of deepe- problems and possible solutions for ning our understanding of gender- mostly female farmers. Over whelming specific differen ces and that such evidence shows that patriarchal, insights would aid to assist plant social, and cultural stereotypes breeders towards addressing gender- 722 Socialmedicinsk tidskrift 6/2017 Om forskning While much work has been conducted on cassava there remains much work to be done when it comes to household food security and women’s participation as well as decision- influencing in cassava value chains. Field photography specific preferences for varietal traits. ment spiral (PPE-spiral). The authors end by stating that this In his earlier studies on konzo, would require appropriate methods Rosling and colleagues, (Rosling et al., and tools for routine use in breeding 1993) describe the causal mechanisms programmes; breeders in collabora- behind human diseases induced by tion with interdisciplinary teams and dietary cyanide exposure from con- farmers. In other words, molecular sumption of cassava. It is during these anthropology. studies that Rosling realizes that the combination of clinical obser- The origins of vations with biological phenomena molecular anthropology would reveal deeper understanding of contextual problems such as In his chapter in the book edited konzo. Rosling was a pioneer in his by Bruno Sobral in 1992 titled “the time, combining anthropological impact of plant molecular genetics” methods from the social sciences with (Rosling, 1996), Hans Rosling persua- biochemical methods in surveys, best sively outlines how molecular genetics described as molecular anthropology. had provided science with innovative Molecular anthropology is a concept tools for increasing food production. that was first defined by Zuker land The story that Hans Rosling tells (1963). The term was used to deter- is that of cassava cyanogenesis and mine amino acid sequence of serum how molecular plant genetics could proteins in prehistoric human evolu- better contribute to the reversal of tion. A medical doctor by training, the “poverty, population and environ- Rosling was intrigued by the onset Socialmedicinsk tidskrift 6/2017 723 Om forskning Removal of bitterness and toxicity in cassava roots soaking and fermentation in earthenware pots in Nkhata-Bay, Malawi. Field photography of the disease konzo that had causal knowledge or evidence from fallacy. links with the food crop cassava. When Hans Rosling first introduced Rosling’s encounter with cassava in the concept of molecular anthro pology Mozambique is what lead Rosling in understanding cassava cyano gensis into the field of ethnobotany. Other he dared to term it a marketing trick. authors in this special issue have de scribed the Mozambique story. “a marketing trick to convey old wisdom Accor ding to the Oxford dictionary, already conveyed by Louis Pasteur, in the ethnobotany is the scientific study of field of observation, chance favours the the traditional knowledge and customs prepared mind” (Sobral, 1992:317) of a people concerning plants and their medical, religious, and other uses However, history was to show that, it (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/ was the beginning of a long-term buil- definition/ethnobotany). Rosling had ding of human capacities of African figured out that the combination of scientists at doctoral education level bio logical sciences with social sciences, as well as post-doctoral level in the in the under standing of cassava cyano- field of cassava research and develop- genesis could rapidly advance and be ment. The ground breaking work by a cost effective way for under standing one of the leading cassava geneticist poor farming communities and their in the world, Martin Fregene, would pressing needs for food security. The culminate in the mapping of the underlying premise being to sort out cassava genome (Fregene et al., 1997, 724 Socialmedicinsk tidskrift 6/2017 Om forskning Nursery
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