Unlocking Africa's food potential: Empowering women in agribusiness

Women are the backbone of Africa's food systems, but they face significant barriers to full participation. To bridge this gap, Value4Her, an initiative by AGRA, is stepping in. CNBC Africa recently interviewed Winnie Osulah, Gender Integration Lead at AGRA, to discuss the challenges faced by women in agribusiness and the strategies in place to empower them. Osulah highlighted emerging trends in the sector, emphasizing the opportunities in access to finance and technology for women. She stressed the importance of women taking advantage of these trends and not being left behind in the digital age. She also discussed how AGRA is tackling the barriers women face in agribusiness, including societal structures and cultural norms. Through a market systems development approach, AGRA is working with networks of women and governments to create an enabling environment for women in agriculture. This includes addressing issues such as access to finance and land productivity. The interview also delved into the strategies employed by AGRA through Value4Her to ensure women's financial stability in the long term. Osulah highlighted the Women to Finance program, which focuses on de-risking financial opportunities for women and providing support services like business development assistance. She also discussed AGRA's Agra 3.0 strategy, which anchors Value4Her on partnerships to ensure sustainability and impact. By leveraging existing partnerships and aligning services with sector-specific goals, AGRA aims to support women in agribusiness across the continent. The interview concluded with a focus on the end-to-end value chain development approach, targeting high potential value chains that include women farmers. This country-specific strategy aims to build women's capacity and involvement in key value chains. Ultimately, by empowering women in agribusiness, AGRA and Value4Her are unlocking Africa's food potential and paving the way for sustainable growth and development.