Women Produce 80% of Sub-Saharan Food
Quote from Ndubuisi Ekekwe on August 24, 2018, 6:51 AMThis is from Wandieville media newsletter shared to help readers in understanding those that drive rural agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. Women hold the ace even though men are visible in all cooperatives. Yes, in some cooperatives, 100% of the leaders are men. But the real farmers are actually women.
Women occupy important segment of the Sub-Saharan Africa Agriculture sector. About 50% of smallholder farmers who produce 80% of food consumed in the region are women (FAO, 2016). They are also involved in almost all agricultural value chain processes- from production, processing, packaging, distribution and exportation. Women constitute about 50% of agriculture’s labour force in the region (UN Women, 2014). In addition, 90% of their income and other proceeds realised from being engaged in the sector are reinvested into the household making them significant contributors to the resilience of households.
This is from Wandieville media newsletter shared to help readers in understanding those that drive rural agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. Women hold the ace even though men are visible in all cooperatives. Yes, in some cooperatives, 100% of the leaders are men. But the real farmers are actually women.
Women occupy important segment of the Sub-Saharan Africa Agriculture sector. About 50% of smallholder farmers who produce 80% of food consumed in the region are women (FAO, 2016). They are also involved in almost all agricultural value chain processes- from production, processing, packaging, distribution and exportation. Women constitute about 50% of agriculture’s labour force in the region (UN Women, 2014). In addition, 90% of their income and other proceeds realised from being engaged in the sector are reinvested into the household making them significant contributors to the resilience of households.