Articles
Impact Stories
Women-led agribusiness in Samoa reaches global markets
Imagine a small women-led organisation in a remote Pacific island nation supplying products sold in more than 3,000 shops in 66 countries. Women in Business Development Incorporated (WIBDI), a non-profit organisation working with 1,000 farming families in Samoa is doing just that, and much more.
Read MoreLovin Kobusingye, the accidental entrepreneur
Sharing actionable knowledge helps to turn ideas into reality. The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) has seen powerful returns from bringing together young entrepreneurial thinkers and doers from all over Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
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Marthe Montcho: Blogging for social change
Marthe Montcho started her blog, L’Agriculture au féminin or Women in Farming, in October 2013. Despite initially knowing very little about blogging, she quickly became a success as the blog grew in popularity. Montcho’s desire to fill what she saw as an information gap and empower female farmers, particularly in her home country of Benin, led to her winning the Youth in Agriculture Blog Competition (YoBloCo), organised by CTA in 2014.
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Climate Change and Conflict in Chad - Using P3DM to secure peace
Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, with support from CTA, facilitates participatory three-dimensional modelling (P3DM) events to help settle disputes over land and resource ownership between the local and indigenous communities in the district of Baïbokoum, Chad.
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Three-dimensional knowledge sharing
Leaving an uninspiring office job, Debora Linga received support from CTA to set-up her own NGO, Tribal Peoples Development in Suriname. Thanks to her Saramaccan tribal origins, she is able to truly apply a participatory approach to development. We caught up with Debora to learn how she is generating lasting impact in her local community and how CTA is involving indigenous people in the development of solutions to the issues they face.
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Blog articles
Gender and digitalisation – supporting women in agribusiness
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) can be powerful tools to overcome limited access to information, boosting productivity and facilitating outsourcing, resource sharing and networking. But gender disparities in the use of ICTs across value chain prevent many women from achieving their full potential in the agriculture sector.
Read MoreUsing fintech to drive financial inclusion for rural women
Despite women’s role as key players in agriculture and the rural economy of developing countries, a great many barriers prevent them from making a more substantial contribution. Compared with men, women have less access to productive resources, such as affordable finance. In Uganda, an alternative financial service is helping women to save, borrow, increase productivity and strengthen their roles across the agricultural value chain.
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Closing the gender gap in agriculture – and moving beyond the jargon
Gender balance, gender mainstreaming, gender bias – the issue of women is increasingly talked about in agricultural development circles, but what does it really mean – and more importantly, what is the impact? A workshop organised by CTA this week seeks to cut through the jargon, to reveal successful models for making next generation ACP agriculture work for women.
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Engaging women in ICT solutions for agriculture
Digitalisation innovations have potential to transform the agricultural sector. Technology is already being harnessed to improve efficiency across the value chain – from the farm to the consumer.
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MUIIS Uganda Initiative is Inclusive: Says the World Economic Forum
The principle upon which the New Vision for Development by the World Economic Forum (WEF) was developed is based on the agreement that economies and businesses will need to be transformed if they are to ensure sustained improvements in living standards for all the world’s citizens.
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Background articles
Policies and Partnerships for Nutritious Food Systems in Fiji
CTA and the Pacific Islands Private Sector Organization (PIPSO), in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) held a national workshop in Suva Fiji on 28-29 June on 'Promoting Nutritious Food Systems in the Pacific Islands' within the framework of the ongoing CTA/IFAD/PIPSO project .
Read MoreWomen entrepreneurs: key players in ACP agribusiness development
Research has shown the value of women’s economic empowerment in development programs
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How Participatory 3D Modelling has contributed to women's personal development in Madagascar
Rural women in Ampefy and Analavory are emerging from years of years of subordination and passivity, taking charge of their own development and overcoming numerous obstacles to their emancipation. Their key role in regional development is increasingly recognised by the administrative and traditional authorities, development partners and the local community. This article shows how participatory 3-D modelling helps women fulfil their potential.
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Outcomes of the 2nd Pacific Agribusiness Forum
The 2nd Pacific Agribusiness Forum on Linking the agrifood sector to the local markets for economic growth and improved food and nutrition security, held in Samoa was organized also as part of the strategic partnership between IFAD, CTA and PIPSO and financed by CTA and IFAD with a number of strategic partners such as the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO). Other organisations provided support (SPC/PAPP, APP Caribbean, Pacific Cooperation Foundation, Samoa Tourism Authority and Samoa Chamber of Commerce & Industry, COLEACP, and IICA).
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From GPS to drones – women leading the way
Tanzanian entrepreneur Rose Funja believes that information and communication technologies (ICTs) hold the key to a better future for young women, especially in the agriculture sector. Setting an example for them all, she has launched a start-up that links small-scale farmers to financial institutions – and is now turning her thoughts to drones.
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News articles
CTA launches VALUE4HER, to bring women together
Women are key actors in agricultural activities, but hardly benefit from high value businesses in agriculture. Supporting women to get into agribusinesses and to derive more incomes from agri-food markets is a sure way of increasing prosperity for Rural communities.
Read MoreAn empowered woman means an empowered community
Women are key to ensuring food and nutrition security. They mainly manage the households – and have the power of deciding on food. By empowering them we can ensure that entire families and communities get a nutritious diet.
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African women adopt smart solutions for climate change
Climate-smart agriculture practices are helping to counter the devastating conditions faced by farmers in Africa in recent years. Sithembile Ndema Mwamakamba is Programme Manager for the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN), a longstanding CTA partner. She explains how women are at the forefront of farmers’ efforts to build resilience to climate change.
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Boutique winery bears fruit for Caribbean agripreneur
Convinced of the need for her native Trinidad to diversify its economy, Laura Superville was keen to set up a business based on local produce. The result is a range of wines based on the aroma and taste of tropical fruits, which has opened up a new career path for this young agripreneur, as well as job opportunities for other members of the community.
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Women need access to open data with potential application for agriculture
Women represent a large percentage of the world’s agricultural workforce and as such, it is critical that they participate more in the digital and open data revolution. Often they lack the skills necessary to access, use and share data to address food security and nutrition challenges.
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Interviews
Noi Paulina Selepe / Lesotho: Strength in numbers in Lesotho
When 29-year-old livestock farmer Noi Paulina Selepe launched her agribusiness, she realised it was too small to supply her country’s fast-growing market for chicken meat. Nothing daunted, this enterprising young woman, decided to call on other poultry farmers to join her – increasing overall output and helping her fellow producers to earn extra income in the process.
Read MoreA voice for women farmers
A farmer herself, Elisabeth Atangana is passionate about the need for effective associations to give a voice to producers and the importance of acknowledging women’s contribution to agriculture. She has been instrumental in shaping the farmers’ movement in her native Cameroon, as well as at regional and continental levels.
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Rose’s smart tips for climate change
Rose Kamanga grew up on a farm with her parents, and she now farms a 10-hectare plot in Dika Mhlanga village, northern Malawi. In response to difficulties caused by drought, erratic rainfall and warmer temperatures, she has embarked on a programme to introduce climate-smart practices to her farm, acting on advice from a government agricultural extension worker. In an interview, this mother of two children explains that the results have been well worth the extra effort to her family.
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Data Reports
An entrepreneurial approach to dairy transformation
The Tadu Dairy Cooperative business model supports traditional women dairy farmers in Cameroon, and provides not only milk but processed dairy products. Increased milk production has not only helped to reduce imports of dairy products but has led to the establishment of many new shops selling feed for cattle.
Read MoreScientific Articles
Young agripreneurs create markets for farmers in the Congo
To encourage value addition of cassava and provide employment opportunities for local farmers, women and youths in the Democratic Republic of Congo, young entrepreneurs have established eight processing centres across the country.
Read MoreA passion for porcine production
Accounting for 38% of worldwide meat production, pork is attracting a new generation of African entrepreneurs – bucking the continent’s traditional aversion to the meat.
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With Sooretul local products are just a click away
An e-commerce platform in Senegal offers agribusinesses and smallholder farmers access to urban clients looking to buy quality local products.
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Don’t leave technology to the men
Dr Eleni Gabre-Madhin, CEO and Founder of blueMoon – Ethiopia’s first youth agribusiness incubator – shares her experience as a woman entrepreneur in Africa’s agricultural sector and stresses the importance that agribusinesses ‘think digital’.
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Women entrepreneurs: key factors to success in agribusiness
Women around the world are overcoming barriers to establish profitable businesses in the agricultural sector. However, strong links to high-value markets, access to necessary finance and resources, and sufficient business training are essential requirements for women business leaders to break through the ‘glass ceiling’ and expand their agribusinesses to compete on an international scale.
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