For many years, the Graça Machel Trust has worked with women-led farmers to propel them beyond subsistence farming into viable businesses that participate equitably in the agricultural value chain. Between 2017 and 2018 our African Women in Agribusiness Network (AWAB) African Food Basket Program achieved impact in Malawi and Zambia through an inclusive business model with 17 women-owned seed companies that supported 1,800 smallholder farmers to produce a variety of climate-smart seeds.
Continuing this work, the Trust partnered with Oxfam South Africa Consortium in 2021 to expand technical assistance to a Fair for ALL project, which seeks to identify the best, emerging relevant value chains that are fair and inclusive for all, particularly women, over the next five years. Oxfam estimates that 60 per cent of economically active women in Africa depend on agriculture for their livelihoods.[1] Through this programme, we are committed to creating pathways for women to access economic opportunities and ensure their voices are heard, and their needs are considered.
Key progress areas between 2021 and 2022
The Fair for All (Fair4All) Project is implementing a project focusing on Gender Transformative Value Chain in South Africa targeted at Civil Society Organisations and Women in Agribusiness operating in selected value chains (citrus, vegetables, poultry and winery) in Gauteng, Eastern Cape and Western Cape. In the past months (November to January), the Fair4All project team undertook a data collection exercise to document impact stories and good practices on gender transformation in selected value chains, gather insights into women's constraints to accessing/participating in the selected value chains and examples of strategies to counter constraints/barriers faced by women in the selected value chains.
Women farmers found the Fair for All project valuable in documenting and amplifying their stories and working collectively to create solutions to the barriers women face in the agricultural value chain. Insights gathered from the women farmers have been valuable and have enabled the project to craft a training manual on Gender Transformative Value Chains drawing from the feedback women provided through the focus group discussions held with women farmers in Gauteng, Eastern Cape and Western Cape.
In Eastern Cape, women farmers have seen a positive impact on their market share in yellow maize production and supply, leading to improved livelihoods for this targeted group. This impact has been felt beyond yellow maize production, with visits to the wine industry uncovering the lack of support and an enabling environment for women operating within the wine industry to access market and export opportunities.
Despite this, the impact of these women farmers' success is being felt across the region, and their improved access to markets leads to better opportunities and outcomes for the group. This data collection exercise began creating more sustainable and equitable agricultural value chains that benefit everyone in the community.
Learning together through partnerships
The project team held a two-day Gender Transformative Value Chains Learning Exchange and Partnership Building from 20 to 21 March 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa. The learning exchange brought together partners and women in agriculture from Gauteng, Eastern Cape and Western Cape, the learning exchange and partnership building aimed at providing a platform for women to share their stories and best practices within the agricultural value chains and to foster building networks and partnerships between women in agriculture. The women also received a workshop on market export and e-commerce from the Eastern Cape Development Corporation. Through this platform, women could discuss and analyse gender dynamics and power relations within the agricultural value chains and their impact on women.
The Fair for All Project also facilitated Gender Transformative Value Chains Workshops in East London with women in agriculture, in partnership with the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) who, have been instrumental in bringing together women from various agricultural chambers such as The National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NAFCOC) and Border Kei Chamber of Business and Department of Agriculture in the Eastern Cape. The workshop focused on discussing the importance of gender in agriculture, addressing gender inequalities in agriculture and introduction gender-sensitive value chain analysis.
Urban Farming Learning Exchange
During the two-day learning exchange and partnership building, the team was hosted by Kurt Ackerman at the Oranjezicht City Farm. This non-profit project celebrates local food, culture, and community through urban farming in Cape Town. As part of the South Africa Urban Food and Farming Trust, the Oranjezicht City Farm works to strengthen South Africa's urban communities and the ecosystems that sustain them. This was part of the Fair for All Project, which brought together women farmers from the Eastern Cape and Gauteng for a learning exchange session. It was a wonderful opportunity for these women to connect, learn best practices and share their knowledge and experiences in the agricultural industry.
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The Fair4All project continues to strive for the advancement of women's economic empowerment and the improvement of sustainable trade and value chains that are respectful of human rights and the environment. Value chains that protect the environment and promote women's livelihoods are being met with measurable success in Gauteng, Eastern Cape and Western Cape. With further investment and support, this success can continue to be seen.
[1] https://www.oxfam.org/en/empowering-women-farmers-end-hunger-and-poverty
