A Call to Action
A Call to Action was adopted at the NEPAD Women in Agriculture Conference held in Durban in October 2014. The preamble states that 2014 was declared as the year of African Agriculture and Food Security by the African Union in commemoration of a decade of the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), agriculture continues to occupy a significant position on Africa's development landscape.
The role of women in agriculture was further elaborated. Within the agriculture value chain, women are responsible for up to 80% of food production, 60% of the harvesting, 80% of food storage and transport from fields to villages, 100% of the processing of basic foodstuffs, and 60% of marketing activities.
It is clear that entrepreneurship should be at the centre of agriculture and food security activities. While major strides are being made in policies and institutional considerations for empowering women in agri-business, the following still needs to be addressed:
-
Strengthening state and private sector led interventions for agribusiness development for women (access and control to means of production, processing and markets)
-
Functional markets and institutions for women in agribusiness
-
Complex relationships that prevents women from taking a lead role in agri-business
The Best Female Entrepreneur of the Year 2013
Ms Nomzamo Khoza the managing member of the People's Bio Oil and Morana Herbal which she manages with her husband Mr Vusi Khoza, won The Best Female Entrepreneur of the Year 2013. She also walked away with the Top Export Entrepreneur of the Year 2013 award. Ms Khoza is also a recipient of the 2012 Provincial Female Farmer award which was won in an event that was hosted by the KZN Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs. Expressing her joy, a 27yr old and an accountant by profession who grew up in the South of Durban said:
"I am overjoyed with the accolade, as it cements the fact that passion and hard work do pay off."
She said that she gains a real sense of achievement, reward and fulfillment from seeing her business develop, creating entrepreneurship opportunities and her employees become empowered. "It took a few years for my farming ambition to come to fruition, it has been a journey with a clear vision," she added.
Established in 2011, People's Bio Oil (Pty) Ltd is a community upliftment private business committed to the development of rural communities through provision of farming skills. The farm is located in uMnini, near Umgababa and is involved in planting Moringa trees, lavender, thyme, parsley and fennel. PBO gave birth to Morana which manufactures and processes indigenous plants and herbs into production of various 100% natural products that range from health tonics, weight loss supplements, body cream, hair food; hot chocolate, spices, herbs etc. Some of their products are used by people suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure, skin diseases, headaches; and these are not only sold domestically but the market footprint extends to other countries such as Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Argentina as well as Brazil. This enterprise provides employment to over 150 employees.