Stuart Smyth

#TuesdayThought: A More Nutritious Crop Still Has to Become a Food People Trust and Choose. A new exploratory study asked 20 gari consumers in southwestern #Nigeria how they viewed a potential biofortified gari product and different breeding methods. What interested me was how participants connected the anticipated nutritional benefits with everyday priorities: being well enough to work, caring for their families, avoiding medical expenses and having peace of mind. Alongside those expectations were questions about how the food would be produced, its safety and whom they could trust. In my #biofortification work, this is a valuable reminder that understanding consumers goes beyond whether they recognise a nutrient’s benefits. It also means understanding what matters to them and what gives them confidence in a food. Consumer engagement should help shape innovation from the beginning, not simply support its introduction to the food environment at the end. What is one decision you have changed after listening to consumers? A thought-provoking read: Akinwehinmi, Gassler and Teuber (2026), “Consumers’ Perception of Genetically Biofortified Gari in Nigeria: An Exploratory Study.” 🔗: doi.org/10.18697/ajfand.155.… #FoodScience | #FoodSystems | #Nutrition | #FoodInnovation | #ConsumerResearch | #GeneticEngineering | #GeneEditing | #FoodSafety | #Micronutrients | #ResearchToImpact | @AjfandOnline