CROP DIVERSIFICATION, PRODUCTIVITY AND DIETARY DIVERSITY: A GENDER PERSPECTIVE

Research background: Strengthening agriculture and food systems have a critical role to play in achieving the sustainable development goals of eliminating hunger poverty; increasing resilience climatic shocks. Crop diversification has been recognized as way reducing agricultural risk. Closing gender gap could boost productivity enhance welfare. Effects crop enhancing dietary diversity amidst among smallholders not well established Nigeria. Purpose article: The study was conducted provide empirical evidence on diversification, male female-headed farming households This policy implications inclusive efficient agrifood system towards SDGs eradicating poverty, equality. Methods: Secondary data from 2015/16 Living Standard Measurement Survey-Integrated Survey Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) used for this study. Tobit regression model employed investigate factors influencing while Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition method decompose differentials productivity. Findings value added: index farmers is 0.10 (P<0.05) higher than female farmers. results showed that farm income, education, household size, size use inorganic fertilizer increased (P< 0.01). However, expenditure (p< 0.05), non-farm income 0.1), age credit access 0.01) reduced diversification. Less half (45.22%) rural consumed at least nine out 12 groups previous week survey period. other positive (P<0.01) effect households’ diversity. 10.87% favour structural endowment disadvantages land are key drivers suggests improvement tenure farmers’ financial services order ensure equality, women empowerment system.