The Role of Gender Inclusion in Promoting Sustainable Horticultural Practices in Southwest Nigeria

The study investigates the role of gender inclusion in fostering sustainable horticultural practices for smallholder farmers in Southwest Nigeria.Through the application of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to the cross-sectional survey of 422 horticulture farmers in six states, the study explores the link between gender diversity and key features of inclusive business models (IBMs), such as capacity building, technical assistance, access to credit, quality assurance, and access to agricultural inputs, and gauges them in terms of impact on sustainability outcomes including profitability, efficiency, climate resilience, quality of products, and sales growth.The research shows that the integration of gender is an independent catalyst for sustainability by promoting participation, stirring innovation, and improving balanced access to resources in the value chains of horticultural production.The study also found that access to agricultural inputs and tailored capacity building measures are the best indicators of long-term success for both male and female farmers.On the other hand, general technical competence and limited access to financial credit had mixed or negative effects more often, especially for women.It is, therefore, crucial to include gender-sensitive approaches in policy design and implementation, with specific actions taken to help women in the horticulture value chains overcome the challenges they face.The study also gives policy-makers, researchers, and others who want to help create equitable and sustainable horticultural systems in Nigeria useful empirical evidence.