Linking Natural Capital Governance to Climate Resilience through Gender-Inclusive Governance and Stakeholder Coordination in Trinidad and Tobago’s Agrifood Organizations

Abstract

Climate-resilient agrifood systems require organizations to convert ecological information into coordinated and inclusive action, yet this organizational process remains insufficiently understood in Small Island Developing States. This study examines relationships among natural capital governance capability, stakeholder coordination, gender-inclusive governance, nature-based practice adoption, and perceived climate resilience performance in Trinidad and Tobago. A survey-based explanatory design informed by qualitative instrument development analyzed 260 responses using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Natural capital governance capability was positively associated with stakeholder coordination, which was positively associated with nature-based practice adoption. Practice adoption was positively associated with perceived climate resilience performance. Stakeholder coordination partially mediated the relationship between natural capital governance capability and practice adoption, while gender-inclusive governance positively moderated that relationship. The study contributes an integrated organizational capability framework that explains the statistical pathways through which ecological knowledge, coordination, inclusion, and nature-based practice are connected in a climate-exposed Small Island Developing State.