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The principal selection objective in crop breeding has for a long time been driven by agronomic gains like yield maximization and climate resilience. Nevertheless, the continued low adoption of new varieties and documented gender technology adoption gap has triggered re‐thinking of this strategy, with end‐user acceptability of released varieties a key strategy in breeding objectives. Using a mixed‐methods approach with a survey of 122 producers and focus group discussions with 200 male and female producers in two major sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam] producing districts in Uganda, this study set out to understand gender‐disaggregated traits that drive acceptance for improved sweetpotato varieties as a guide to development of new varieties in the region. A generalized structural equation model approach is used to analyze how interrelated trait preferences shape acceptance for improved varieties, while in‐depth insights from a qualitative approach are used to further ground observed results. Traits such as high root yields, drought tolerance, and vitamin A are shown to be key drivers to acceptance of improved varieties, while good taste and dry matter content dampen acceptance of improved varieties in favor of landraces. Male farmers are also shown to mainly prefer agronomic traits such as high yields and stress tolerance, while women mostly prefer quality traits such as good taste, vitamin A, and high dry matter content. To achieve higher acceptability and adoption of improved varieties across the gender divide, new varieties need to not only consider agronomic gains, but also quality‐related traits such as taste and dry matter content. Core Ideas: End‐user acceptability is critical in crop breeding for adoption at scale of new released varieties.Quality traits are important for variety acceptance and need to be prioritized in variety breeding.For inclusive impacts, breeding programs need to consider gender implications of new varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pervasive threats of climate change and land degradation have compounded the inherent low farm productivity problem in sub‐Saharan Africa. Though sustainable agricultural intensification practices have been shown to improve the resilience of farm production in the face of these emerging threats, they suffer low adoption rates typical of any technology adoption in these regions. Recent evidence points to an emergence of large traders in smallholder grain markets of countries in sub‐Saharan Africa. Given their big financial and operational capacities, the hypothesis is that they can drive the elusive transformation in agri‐food systems by enhancing sustainable production and marketing for smallholder farmers. This study tests this hypothesis using a decade‐long large‐panel dataset from Kenya. A dynamic random effects Probit model and a control function approach are used to evaluate the dynamism in adopting sustainable agricultural inputs and the effect of large grain traders in enhancing the adoption of these inputs at the farm level. Results indicate that sales to large grain traders lead to higher adoption of inorganic fertilizer and improved seed, key agricultural intensification inputs. Land ownership is also shown to be a key success factor for entry into large‐grain‐trader markets. Lastly, the adoption of improved seed and organic manure is persistent across time, indicating state dependence in using these inputs. These results suggest that strategies to foster engagements between large grain traders and farmers can enhance the uptake of sustainable intensification inputs. Such strategies should be accompanied by efforts to improve access to these markets by resource‐poor farmers who are primarily smallholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]