Lessons on scaling Gender Transformative Socio-Technical Innovation Bundles (GTSTIBs) for sustainable resilient agrifood systems

Achieving sustainable and resilient agrifood systems in East Africa requires moving beyond isolated technological solutions to address the deep-seated gender norms that constrain smallholder productivity. This study examines lessons learned from scaling Gender-Transformative Socio-Technical Innovation Bundles (GTSTIBs) in Kenya and Ethiopia. By integrating climate-smart agricultural technologies with social behaviour change interventions such as financial inclusion dialogues and household decision-making workshops, the study assesses impacts on women’s empowerment, household resilience, and food security.

Results indicate that "bundling" social equity measures with technical innovations significantly enhances adoption rates compared to technical interventions alone. In both countries, the GTSTIB approach led to measurable increases in women’s agency regarding income control and production decisions. Consequently, these empowered households demonstrated greater resilience to climate shocks and improved food security outcomes, driven by more equitable resource allocation and diversified livelihoods. The findings underscore that scaling sustainable agrifood systems is not merely a technical challenge but a social one, requiring context-specific bundles that simultaneously address the biological and sociological constraints of farming.