Empowering female farmers

Women and Agriculture Summit
Gerine Hoff
The Women and Agriculture Summit, now in its second year, takes place on 27 September at the National Theatre in the capital, with a virtual workshop on 28 September.
The summit aims to unite stakeholders from diverse backgrounds to address challenges faced by women in agriculture and highlight upcoming opportunities. Attendees include female farmers, women in the agricultural sector, industry leaders, policymakers, and experts from across Namibia. This year's theme, "Leveraging Technology and Innovation to Unleash the Potential of Agriculture and Value Addition," explores the impact of technology and innovation on the agricultural sector, empowering farmers and promoting value addition.
Event founder and coordinator, Paulina Mbango, highlights the summit's objectives as providing a crucial networking platform for women, facilitating knowledge sharing and collaboration to overcome barriers hindering their participation in agriculture. The event also recognizes the pivotal role of women in driving sustainable development and food security in Namibia, while celebrating the work of organizations and government agencies supporting female farmers.
The summit has three key objectives. Firstly, it aims to create awareness of women's contributions and potential in agriculture, emphasizing their importance in the sector. Secondly, it seeks to facilitate knowledge exchange and capacity building through workshops, panel discussions, and presentations covering areas like finance, technology adoption, and market linkages. Lastly, it aims to promote dialogue with industry leaders on strategies and investments to empower women in agriculture.
Vital, yet challenged
Agriculture is vital to African economies, providing employment, income, and food security, but faces challenges like climate change, resource access, and gender disparities. The changing business landscape and global disruptions such as the Covid-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions underline the need for prioritizing agriculture in Africa for self-sufficiency, food security, and resilient supply chains. The summit will explore how these circumstances shape Namibia's agriculture sector, identifying strategies for risk mitigation and maximizing opportunities, especially for vulnerable farmers like women.
The summit will also delve into the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in agriculture, recognizing its potential to revolutionize the sector by improving efficiency, productivity, and sustainability. While AI may impact job security, it offers opportunities to fast-track agriculture through technological empowerment, decision-making enhancement, and innovation.
Event partners include FNB Namibia, Environmental Investment Fund (EIF), AvaGro, AgriBank, Agra, Feedmaster, Energy100, Namfarmers, and the Nutrition and Food Security Alliance of Namibia (NAFSAN). For more information, visit www.agri-women.com.