Food systems around the world are facing increasing challenges. Climate pressures, market volatility, and evolving consumer demands are creating new risks for farmers, agricultural businesses, and rural communities. Building stronger, more resilient food systems will require investment in the people who drive them forward. Among them are women entrepreneurs, who play a vital role in agricultural value chains and rural economies.

Across Africa and Latin America, women play essential roles throughout agricultural value chains. They grow crops, manage farms, process products, operate businesses, and connect communities to local and global markets. Yet many women continue to face barriers to financing, training, market access, and business development opportunities.

As organizations and governments work to strengthen food systems, increasing attention is being given to the role that women entrepreneurs can play in driving economic growth, food security, and resilience.

Women Are Central to Agrifood Systems

A 2025 report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Natural Resources Institute (NRI), and African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) highlights the critical role women play in agrifood systems across Sub-Saharan Africa.

The report found that women make up 49 percent of the agrifood workforce in the region, while 76 percent of employed women work within agrifood systems. The research also showed growing participation by women in off-farm activities such as processing, packaging, distribution, and other value-added segments of agricultural value chains.

These findings reinforce what many organizations working in agricultural development already see firsthand: women are not simply participants in food systems. They are leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators who contribute to the success of businesses, households, and communities.

Entrepreneurship Creates Opportunity

Women entrepreneurs are helping strengthen agricultural value chains in many ways. They launch processing businesses, create market opportunities for producers, improve product quality, and help connect farmers with buyers.

Entrepreneurship can also strengthen economic resilience by helping businesses diversify income streams, access new markets, and adapt to changing conditions. As farmers and businesses navigate changing weather patterns, fluctuating prices, and evolving market demands, entrepreneurial skills can help communities identify new opportunities and respond effectively to challenges.

When women have access to training, financial literacy education, and business development resources, they are often better positioned to invest in their enterprises and support long-term growth.

Addressing Persistent Barriers

Despite their contributions, women continue to face obstacles that can limit business growth and economic participation.

The 2025 FAO report notes that many women working in agrifood systems remain concentrated in informal employment and often have less influence over decision-making and access to resources. These challenges can affect income opportunities, business expansion, and long-term resilience.

Addressing these barriers requires practical solutions. Access to business training, financial literacy programs, mentorship, and market opportunities can help women entrepreneurs strengthen their enterprises and increase their impact.

Building Stronger Food Systems

Resilient food systems depend on strong value chains, thriving businesses, and opportunities for innovation. Women entrepreneurs contribute to all three.

Investing in women's entrepreneurship is not only an investment in individual businesses. It is an investment in stronger agricultural markets, more resilient communities, and food systems that are better prepared to meet future challenges.

At Grow to Market, we believe that supporting entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and market access can help create lasting economic opportunities. By equipping women with the tools and knowledge needed to grow their businesses, we can help strengthen agricultural value chains and contribute to more sustainable food systems for the future.

For more information, visit us at www.growtomarket.org or contact us at info@growtomarket.org

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, Natural Resources Institute (NRI), and African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD), The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa (2025) | FAO News Release

Cover Photo: Diarra Ndione (right) and her team at Salianta Agro, Senegal. Photo by Babacar Sene.