Consumer preferences for sorghum-based food products among smallholder farmers in Soroti District

Abstract

Sorghum, a vital drought-resistant crop, plays a significant role in ensuring food security across many parts of Africa. However, limited research has explored consumer preferences for sorghum-based food products (SBFP) among gender groups. This gap in research hinders innovation in sorghum-based foods that could help address the challenge of malnutrition, where sorghum is a staple food. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the diversity of SBFP consumed by different gender groups, with a particular focus on gender-specific preferences and the factors influencing consumer preferences for sorghum-based food products. The study was conducted in Soroti district using a sequential mixed method research design where data were collected through a qualitative approach involving 14 key informants (6 females and 8 males); Six (6) sex-disaggregated focus group discussions (43 women and 37 men) and a quantitative approach involving a survey of 431 consumers who were also mainly smallholder farmers (226 Women and 205 men). For qualitative data, thematic-content analysis was used to extract, summarize, and visualize the information on the diversity of SBFPs and their attributes; while for quantitative data, mean, frequencies, chi-square, independent sample ttest, and binary logistic regression for factors influencing preferences were used. Findings reveal that there are gender differences in consumption of SBFPs, but attribute preference in the most consumed sorghum bread and sorghum porridge were gender neutral. The logistics regression result show that taste, gender, and household income had a significant positive association with the number of product consumed, while product availability and household size had a significant negative association with consumer preferences for SBFP. The research therefore provides empirical evidence that for product improvement that aims at addressing food security and nutrition, it should focus on the most consumed sorghum bread and porridge, where the key attributes preferred are taste, nutritional value, and texture. The factors influencing consumer preferences for sorghum-based food products, such as gender, household income, household size, product taste, and availability, need to be taken into consideration during product development and targeting of end-users.