Developing sustainability in an agricultural ecosystem requires that attention be given to inequities within communities. The experiences of SANREM CRSP revealed that gender inequality was a significant factor in the access and control of resources that were critical for the projects reaching their goals. Among the resources of financial, manufactured, human, environmental, and social capital, enhancing social capital among women was a crucial component of plans for increasing collective and household sustainability. Women's roles in the different SANREM CRSP sites varied significantly and provided a helpful indicator of what aspects of the landscape and lifescape should be addressed in order to work toward sustainability.