Women leaders in the agricultural sector believe the only way to make it is to stand and support one another, brush off criticism, and pull themselves together to reach their goals. All while holding one another’s hands on the journey.
Closing off Women’s Month, Gather To Grow host Dawn Noemdoe was joined by a cast of women involved in the agriculture space who shared their experiences and how they have tackled them.
For the chief executive of African Women in Agriculture Agnes Hove, the journey was accidental but her love for gardening was inevitable after she fell in love with it. However, the start was not smooth sailing.
Farming smarter, together
“It has not been easy to start farming and one of the biggest challenges is access to networks, like people who have walked the path, people who farm in the same area or same crops.
“I believe with such people you can learn from their mistakes and even form partnerships. Because once you have access to bigger markets, there are huge possibilities that doors are going to open for you,” she said.
Hove added that farming is turbulent but needs resilient women to make it. She said this year farmers dealt with a very cold winter and farmers, especially women, need to come together and share ideas on how best to overcome such challenges and become innovative.
Planning a way forward
She said droughts, hail and frost have an impact on profitability and farmers cannot really prepare for weather events. Therefore that should be the space where women come together and plan a way forward on how to farm smart.
“We try our best to make use of shade nets, frost covers, and irrigation for drought periods. There are things you have to go through and learn and we are here to help people walk the journey so that they don’t make the same mistakes as us,” Hove said.
For her, networking is very critical as it leads to having conversations about farming, which crops to grow, and the basics, like where to get the best seedlings.
“There is a lot to learn. There are a lot of people who are ready to talk to people about and we just need to formalise our networks more,” she said.
Sharing knowledge
Mopani worms farmer Phuti Kabasa believes forming relationships with fellow insect agri processors has made the journey less lonely through the formation of a non-profit organisation (NPO).
“We came to a point where we realised to get together and establish an NPO where we can get together and do just that.
“It’s a lonely journey but now it is starting to get better. In terms of equality, I think for us working with a lot of workers and the industry at the collection stage, most of the people are female and it has been very welcoming. We come across motherly figures and most people can share their knowledge with you, how to look after the capital,” she said.
However, the situation changes when you enter the market and you come across buyers who are men and the language is different, Kabasa explained. What they expect and the pace is different.
This is why she and the women of Insects For Sustainable Aquaculture (Ifasa) are hoping to connect with like-minded people so that they can learn from each other and educate buyers.
Pushing through no matter what
Relating with Kabasa, conservationist Ashleigh Stainthorpe, said negative comments did not stop her from realising her dream.
“I was thinking about studying conservation. People told me not to do it because it would be hard because I am a woman. That was very discouraging.
“I had all the successful women around me and I saw them as role models and the difficulties they went through to make things easier for us women who are in the sector now, inspired me. I knew if I could be half as strong as them, I would make a huge difference in what I do. I am so grateful for them pushing through because that made it easier for me,” she said.
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