In this edition of Farmer’s Inside Track, Shandini Naidoo, founder of AvoPort, shares how she took an unexpected turn into agriculture, what motivates her, and thoughts on creating a more inclusive agri sector.
Naidoo kicks off the episode with some of her childhood memories and how the formidable strength of amazing women shaped her life. She further talks about inclusivity within the agricultural industry and the gaps.
“The one thing I am really proud of is, as much as the agriculture space looks like a male-dominated space, there are a lot of powerful women in this space,” she says.
Need for more adaptable policies
Naidoo believes that South Africa’s agricultural policies should be more adoptable and in the episode she explains why she holds this view. She adds that the global pandemic has taught the world a lot.
“Taking the lessons from Covid is super important to developing a more robust and sustainable agricultural space through policy and the inclusion now of agritech and artificial intelligence (AI).”
The former lawyer cautions that the inclusion of agritech and AI should, however, not be at the cost of excluding jobs. “It is a delicate balance of having a policy that is forward-thinking and encompassing.”
In this episode, Naidoo also discusses:
- Her business module;
- Her thoughts on agri exports; and
- Message to South Africa’s young farmers.
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