Gender-Inclusive Marketing and its Impact on Food Value Chain Efficiency in Emerging Economies: A Sectoral Perspective from Sub- Saharan Africa

In the face of persistent gender inequality and structural inefficiencies in food supply systems, the integration of gender-inclusive marketing has emerged as a transformative strategy in agribusiness development across emerging economies. This study explores the nexus between gender-inclusive marketing strategies and food value chain efficiency, with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa as a representative region of emerging market dynamics. While numerous studies have examined the gender gap in agricultural production and access to markets, limited attention has been paid to how inclusive marketing approaches such as gender-responsive product development, pricing, promotion, and distribution can enhance coordination, productivity, and inclusivity across the food value chain. Adopting a mixed-method approach, the study draws on both primary and secondary data sources, including semi- structured interviews with agribusiness stakeholders and survey responses from actors within selected value chains. The analytical framework is grounded in the Gender and Value Chain Analysis Model, enabling a systematic evaluation of how gender-responsive strategies influence value creation, value addition, and market accessibility. Empirical findings reveal that agribusinesses that proactively embed gender considerations in their marketing decisions demonstrate higher levels of efficiency, particularly in distribution networks, supply-demand alignment, and consumer responsiveness. Moreover, gender-inclusive marketing was found to catalyze greater participation of women in upstream and downstream value chain activities, thereby improving social equity and overall system resilience. The study contributes to the growing discourse on gender mainstreaming in agricultural policy and agribusiness development. It recommends that policy frameworks, development agencies, and agrifood enterprises adopt gender-lens marketing as a lever for optimizing value chain performance, reducing post-harvest losses, and enhancing food system sustainability in emerging economies.