How networking and collaboration helps make agriculture work for women

The VALUE4HER project will increase incomes and employment opportunities for women by linking women-led agribusinesses with competitive high value regional and global markets, and improving women business leader’s technical and managerial skills, with training on market dynamics, to grow their agribusinesses further.

The project, which will run initially for 2 years (2018–2020), will target women who own agribusinesses that operate in horticulture, grains, dairy, poultry, or fisheries value chains. Key activities include:

• Development of a digital database of women entrepreneurs for each region.
• Training women on business leadership and managerial skills.
• Development of one women’s agribusiness e-hub in each region, which will offer services to women entrepreneurs.
• Organisation of one ‘business-to-business’ fair and match-making event in each region.
• Provision of a competitive innovation fund to enhance linkages with women lower down the value chain and initiate efficiency measures, including the use of ICTs.
• Design and Implementation of advocacy initiatives aimed at addressing key economic barriers to women’s entrepreneurship.
• Preparations and co-hosting of a global forum on women in agripreneurship.
• Launch of a Women Agripreneur of the Year award to recognise entrepreneurs who have excelled and shown remarkable innovation in their business.