Photo Credit: Annie Spratt
On 15th April 2020, the Graça Machel Trust (GMT) and its African Women in Agribusiness Network (AWAB) hosted a Webinar with The Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) to address the effects of COVID-19 on food systems and agribusiness in the Eastern and Southern African (ESA) region. The Webinar attracted different stakeholders in the Agriculture and food systems sectors in the Sub-Saharan region who were very keen to share the work they are doing to ensure that there is access to markets and finance for women farmers and other vulnerable groups.
There is an urgent need that calls on establishing strong food systems that will also help promote the advancement of women in agribusiness within the region. This is a great contribution towards the Sustainable Development Goal (SDGS) and the African Union Agenda 2063.
Here are the different perspectives from women in agribusiness farmers, researchers, CSOs and government that discussed the impact of COVID-19 on smallholder farming households, agriculture markets and food and nutrition security in the ESA region.
“At the moment we are experiencing both medical and economic shocks not only as women in agribusiness, but all humans on the planet earth. 70% of the women in Uganda are engaged in subsistence agriculture and hence they feel the shocks more. Such challenges range from lack of logistics, social distancing, if we are to till the fields in cooperatives business models.” – Penny Ngategize, African Women in Agribusiness Network
“We are in the planting season and currently we cannot access the fields due to lockdown. As for those harvesting, we are facing losses in one way or another as there is no option of post-harvest handling, coupled with closure of markets.” – Penny Ngategize, African Women in Agribusiness Network
“The challenge is the gendered perspective, particularly in trade, as trade exposes women to COVD-19 from a social distancing perspective. If we look at the informal markets in South Africa especially in the townships, a bulk of those traders are women. The gendered lens will be critical, because the impact of COVID will be disproportionately affecting women and the ability of the household to earn.” – Sydney Kurai Zharare, DevPact
“From the presentations provided and the inputs given, it is evident that the current pandemic has really disrupted food systems and the livelihoods of our people in the region. There is a need to foster resilience of food systems taking into account food security as well as nutrition, at local level, that is at the household level as well as at the National and Regional levels.”- Njongenhle Nyoni, FANRPAN
“Government responses to COVID-19 have to informed by evidence and evidence has to be context-specific and different stakeholders have to be seen contributing to the evidence and solutions. Therefore, policy recommendations need to take into account the varying stakeholders.”- Njongenhle Nyoni, FANRPAN
Learn more about the African Women in Agribusiness Network
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