While women remain the backbone of small-scale agriculture, they continue to struggle with issues such as food insecurity, sexual harassment and low wages. (Image source: African Union)

To combat the challenges currently being faced by women farmers in Africa, a plethora of initiatives are being undertaken, with hopes of empowering these farmers and ensuring the transformation of the region's agricultural landscape

While women remain the backbone of small-scale agriculture, they continue to struggle with issues such as food insecurity, sexual harassment and low wages. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), women receive less than 10% of available agricultural credit, limiting their ability to purchase high-quality seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, and irrigation equipment. The lack of collateral, restrictive banking policies, and financial illiteracy further hinder their ability to secure funding, leading to lower yields and poor crop quality.

Moreover, land ownership is another major hurdle. Studies show that only 15% of women in sub-Saharan Africa own land, reducing their ability to secure loans for expansion. This lack of ownership discourages long-term investments in soil improvement and productivity-enhancing innovations, keeping women in subsistence farming. Unstable markets further compound these issues. 

To tackle these challenges, African Union Special Envoy for Food Systems, Dr Ibrahim Assane Mayaki advises women farmers to form or join cooperatives, which can help them collectively bargain for better prices, access bulk purchasing discounts on inputs, and eliminate exploitative middlemen. Cooperatives should also develop digital marketplaces and mobile trading platforms where women can connect directly with buyers, ensuring fairer pricing. Governments, NGOs, and financial institutions must design gender-responsive credit facilities, including collateral-free loans and microfinance programs tailored for women farmers. Expanding mobile banking and digital wallets to rural areas can facilitate transactions and savings. Additionally, financial literacy training should be introduced to help women understand budgeting, credit management, and investment strategies.

Advocacy efforts should focus on ensuring that inheritance laws are equitable and that women farmers have secure land tenure, enabling them to make long-term investments in their farms. Governments and private sector players should invest in structured market systems, including farmer markets, digital trading platforms, and cold storage facilities. Participation in regional agricultural exhibitions and trade fairs should also be promoted to connect rural women with larger markets.

To enhance cross-border trade opportunities, trade regulations should be simplified, and training on trade policies and export procedures provided. Setting up cross-border trade facilitation desks can offer guidance and protection against exploitation at borders. Preferential trade agreements for small-scale women traders should also be introduced to enhance their competitiveness in foreign markets. Governments should also expand women-focused agricultural extension programmes, leveraging mobile apps and radio-based training to reach remote areas. Peer-to-peer learning and mentorship programmes can also provide knowledge on best practices, innovative farming techniques, and climate-smart agriculture to improve productivity and resilience against climate change.

Moa's agreement with NAICONS gives the former exclusive rights to develop any new herbicides discovered in the library. (Image source: Moa Technologies)

Oxford-based agricultural biotech firm, Moa Technology has entered a partnership with Italian natural products company, NAICONS to find a safe, effective and affordable biological herbicide  

With over 273 species of weeds that are now resistant to one or more commercially available herbicides, the need for new herbicides has never been more urgent. To date, Moa's platforms have screened almost 800,000 synthetic and naturally-occurring compounds, discovering over 70 potentially novel mode of action herbicides. Three synthetic herbicides with novel modes of action discovered by Moa have already performed strongly in their first two seasons of international field trials.

Moa's agreement with NAICONS gives the former exclusive rights to develop any new herbicides discovered in the library, with value to be shared from future licensing and commercialisation. CEO of Moa Technology, Dr Virginia Corless said the company is looking forward to applying the screening technology to NAICONS' high-quality library of actinomycete bacteria to find out whether a sustainable and effective biological compound can be discovered to assist farmers with controlling weeds. 

"We are very excited about this collaboration," said NAICONS CEO, Stefano Donadio. "Our library has never been screened for herbicides and we are confident promising lead molecules will be rapidly identified through our powerful micro4all platform. Over 150,000 different molecules have been identified in the extracts sent to Moa and our team is eager to help in identifying the most promising herbicide candidates."

To address productivity challenges, Pratley Group has launched a scientifically designed perlite-based growing medium, Grolite that is known to deliver superior results. (Image source: Pratley)

Grolite, a perlite-based growing medium from Pratley has been known to be a transformative product for farmers, from small-scale enterprises to large agricultural operations

Amidst increasing pressure to boost productivity and efficiency in farming operations, the adoption of innovative solutions has become essential. At the same time, conserving resources is also essential. To address these challenges, Pratley Group has launched a scientifically designed perlite-based growing medium, Grolite that is known to deliver superior results. 

Available in Type 1 and Type 2 grades, with sizes ranging from fine to coarse, Grolite accommodates a range of agricultural practices. This flexibility enables farmers to choose the specific grade that best meets their operational needs, whether it is for seedlings, hydroponic systems, soil aeration, or improving moisture retention in crop fields.

Being  a sterile growing medium free from any form of harmful pathogens, Grolite provides a clean and healthy environment for plant growth, which is particularly important for the development of fine hair roots. The optimal air-water balance facilitated by Grolite further enhances root systems, leading to faster-growing and more resilientplants. Its excellent wicking properties also promote  optimal and uniform water distribution within the growing medium, supporting consistent plant health and productivity.

Grolite's reputation as a durable and consistent growing medium comes from its excellent nutrient intake capability which enables crops to absorb essential nutrients more efficiently. In addition, its inert and stable nature prevents the product from dissolving or degrading over time. Grolite also significantly boosts yield, thanks to its ability to retain fertilisers in the soil, ensuring that nutrients remain available to plants for longer durations.

Furthermore, the product also retains moisture in the soil and maintains stable temperatures, helping crops thrive in South Africa’s diverse and often challenging climatic conditions. Its role in improving soil aeration and drainage prevents compaction and waterlogging, promoting the health and resilience of crops. These properties make it an excellent choice for both traditional farming methods and more advanced systems like hydroponics.

Marketing director, Eldon Kruger highlighted that the benefits of Grolite extend well beyond just enhancing plant growth. "Grolite is more than just a growing medium. It is a strategic resource that empowers farmers to achieve better outcomes whilst also preserving natural resources," stated Krugar.

The adoption of a gender gap reduction policy highlights the Group’s commitment to social inclusion, promoting a sustainable and innovative business model. (Image source: Arrigoni)

Arrigoni, a leading European group in the design and production of agrotextiles for agriculture, has recently obtained Gender Equality certification in accordance with UNI/PdR 125:2022, thanks to the adoption of a company policy geared toward reducing the gender gap

Arrigoni’s new milestones extend the equity goals and complement the concept of openness and sustainability that the Group has promoted over the years. The policy is not limited to gender difference, but embraces and promotes the benefits of diversity in all its aspects, including age, ethnicity, geographic origin, seniority in office, disability and sexual orientation. 

With the adoption of the new policy, every stage of professional life, from recruitment to career paths, will be guided by the principle of equal opportunity, inclusion and meritocracy. The document also explores aspects such as parental protection, work-life balance and professional development opportunities for women, questioning internal processes, formalising commitments and raising the bar even higher. 

The new gender equality policy sets clear requirements over time for all areas of the company, including governance, human resource management processes, pay equity, and corporate culture. Appropriate reporting and monitoring systems will ensure the identification of any deviations from defined goals, allowing prompt action to be taken.

“With the Gender Equality certification we are determinedly pursuing the goal of developing a business model based on inclusion, innovation and valuing people in order to contribute to sustainable and lasting cultural change in society,” concluded the CEO of Arrigoni Group, Paolo Arrigoni, adding that the adoption of this policy would help in raising aareness to avoid gender stereotypes, while also contributing to the creation of a positive and inclusive work environment that adheres to the corporate vision of diversity.