Building sustainable agri-food market systems: Interconnectedness of social, economic and environmental factors in biofortified cassava food systems

Sustainability and the future of food systems have become major food policy discourses in recent years. While prior research has focused on analyzing social, economic, and environmental aspects of sustainability separately, the present study takes a broader approach to understand the interconnectedness of these dimensions. The present study involves a cross-sectional survey of 90 biofortified cassava base of pyramid (BoP) producers in Nigeria. Data for this study were collected through structured interviews and analyzed using a combination of descriptive analysis and the structural equation modelling (SEM) method. The analysis of the fit indices indicates that the model is appropriate, and the associations between the dimensions and their constructs are statistically significant and positive, suggesting a robust relationship that supports the hypothesized path movements. Our analysis revealed a strong correlation between environmental and economic issues, emphasizing the significance of value-based supply chain practices as a marketing option and its considerable market potential, among other considerations. The study supports adopting a systemic approach in managing sustainability challenges and, thus, serves as a foundation for developing sustainable policies that align the demands of the market, society, and environment.