Food insecurity is caused by many factors. Among these is the fact that women and youth lack the resources and opportunities they need to make the most of their time and labour. Women account for a great proportion of the agricultural labour force, produce the majority of food grown, and perform most of the unpaid care work in rural areas; yet, they do not enjoy equality with men when it comes to assets, land, food and nutrition, work opportunities, education and participation in decisionmaking. In many cases, women and youths are excluded from the services offered by producer organizations (POs) and cooperatives. These inequalities generate high costs in terms of missed opportunities to raise agricultural productivity and income, increasing poverty and food insecurity. Clear synergies exist between gender equality and hunger-reduction goals.