Women’s growing contribution to agriculture and the fresh produce value chain was in the spotlight at the Women in Agriculture event hosted by the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) in Centurion as part of Women’s Month celebrations.
The event brought women from across the agricultural and fresh produce sectors together to celebrate their contribution, build connections and discuss how the industry can create more opportunities for women to participate, lead and grow businesses.
Jane Strijdom, country manager for Southern Africa at the IFPA, said women are making a difference at every level of the fresh produce value chain, from farming and production to marketing, research, retail, exports and business leadership.
The event also comes as 2026 marks the International Year of the Female Farmer, which recognises women’s contribution to food security, rural economies and sustainable agriculture while highlighting ongoing barriers to land, finance, technology, markets and other opportunities.
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‘It is a privilege to be in agriculture’
For women working across the value chain, being part of agriculture is about more than having a career. It is also about contributing to an industry with a direct impact on people’s daily lives.
Litha Sabio, strategic communications representative at RSA Group, said her decade in agriculture had given her a new appreciation for the sector.
“Having worked in many other sectors beforehand, I think that if you’ve only ever been in agriculture, perhaps you don’t realise how lucky you really are. Every day that you wake up, you’re making a difference. Without even meaning to, you make a difference in somebody’s life,” Sabio said.
She added that the people she encounters through the industry are an important part of what makes working in agriculture meaningful.
“It’s not just what I do, but I’m exposed to so many incredible people, and I’m inspired by the people that I work with every day,” she said.
Creating value for farmers
For others, the opportunity to work in agriculture is closely connected to finding practical ways to make farmers’ businesses more efficient.
Lizbé Prio, business development manager at Nile.ag, said growing up on a potato farm gave her a personal connection to the agricultural industry.
Working in the sector and at Nile.ag, she added, allows her to add value to farmers’ daily operations.
Prio said her work focuses on helping farmers procure inputs more easily and at lower cost, while also helping them sell fresh produce with lower transaction costs. “As a woman, it’s very sentimental for me to be working in this industry and adding value.”
Her experience reflects the increasingly diverse roles women occupy across agriculture, with their contribution extending beyond primary production into technology, business development, communications, finance, logistics and market access.
Moving beyond recognition
While the event celebrated women’s contribution, speakers stressed that Women’s Month should also be used to consider what is needed to help more women build sustainable agricultural businesses.
Strijdom said the focus should not only be on celebrating women’s achievements, but also on creating a stronger and more inclusive agricultural sector for the future.
The IFPA connects Southern Africa’s fresh produce industry to an international network while providing members with access to knowledge, resources and opportunities to connect and collaborate.
Esethu Ntwendala, an agricultural economist representing Standard Bank, said supporting women requires more than simply recognising their contribution.
She identified digital opportunity, access and collective impact as important areas for helping more women build, own, lead and scale successful businesses across agriculture and the fresh produce value chain.
Ntwendala also emphasised the importance of creating spaces where women can connect, form relationships and identify new opportunities and partnerships.
She called for a shift from “recognition to opportunity, from opportunity to access, and from individual success to collective impact”.
Growing the fresh produce market
The event also highlighted the importance of growing domestic consumption of fresh produce as an opportunity for the entire value chain.
Strijdom noted that South African fresh produce consumption remains below the global recommendation referenced during her presentation and encouraged the industry to promote a simple message: fresh produce should make up half of consumers’ plates.
Higher consumption, she said, could benefit farmers, packers, logistics providers, exporters and retailers while supporting healthier choices for consumers.
For women in agriculture, the opportunity therefore extends across the entire value chain, from producing food to developing technologies, connecting farmers with markets and helping businesses reach consumers.
As Strijdom put it, “Great farming takes a village, but it takes extraordinary women to keep that village fed.”
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