Empowering Women-Led Agri-Food Businesses in Africa: A Journey of Shared Progress and Impact

There is a strong business case for supporting women-led businesses.  As a key lever to creating positive changes in economic, social and environmental systems, bridging gender gaps can generate a ripple effect of beneficial outcomes that go beyond evening up the scales.

In 2019, it was estimated that 36% of all working women participate in agri-food systems.  Agri-food includes all the inputs, production, processing, distributing, consumption and disposal of food. That number almost doubles in sub-Saharan Africa, where 66% of women work directly or are connected to the agri-food sector¹.  These women are the backbone of rural economies and play an important role in supporting vulnerable populations. This alone, highlights the pivotal role women play in contributing to the food systems transformation we are aiming for. 

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Agri-Food Network (IAFN) have been working together since October 2022 supporting the potential of women-led businesses in Africa through an SME Accelerator Programme.  This programme is designed to provide support to women entrepreneurs addressing some of the key challenges and constraints they face in their businesses.

This October, the 3rd cohort of the Accelerator Programme will work with 50 ambitious women throughout the African continent who are all contributing to food and nutrition security, the reduction of food waste and loss and sustainable consumption and production. Their nine-month journey will involve workshops and individualised capacity building, learning and development opportunities and one-to-one mentorship that will help elevate their impact.

I am very grateful to have been asked to participate as a mentor in this programme. One of the things that excites me is that these women are not waiting for the gap to be closed or for a helping hand.  They are already making significant inroads to bridge that gap themselves through ingenuity and their innate wisdom. 

Although the mentor is a guide and serves to bring experience and knowledge, the mentee-mentor relationship is a reciprocal process and wisdom is exchanged. This invaluable dynamic of learning and guidance is an amazing opportunity for personal growth and development – one I very much look forward to.

I encourage you to follow the work this initiative is bringing to fruition and invite you to spread their story in whatever way you can.  Food after all intersects with every aspect of climate, culture, health and ecology and we all have the ability to influence and contribute through collaboration, education and advocacy.

*FAO. 2023. The status of women in agrifood systems. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc5343en