This training manual is intended to help agro-dealers in Africa have a better understanding of the importance of gender for their business. It provides practical suggestions for how agro-dealers can address the needs of both women and men farmers to make their business more profitable. The manual can be used by agro-dealers to improve their knowledge, or by trainers as part of a broader training program for agro-dealers. It is based on workshops organized by CIMMYT in 2017 for agro-dealers in several African countries, and also draws on research carried out by CIMMYT and partners on gender, plant breeding and seed systems. The first section of the manual explains what gender means and why it is important for agriculture and agro-dealers in Africa. Section two suggests ways to develop an agro-dealer business that considers the needs of both women and men, while the third section focuses on how to take gender into consideration in promoting an agro-dealer business.

This publication was made possible through the generous support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA), Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa Seed Scaling (DTMASS) and the Stress Tolerant Maize for Africa (STMA) projects.