Encounters

“Working with waste is not shameful, it is an act of love for my community”

Joëlla Mujijima Buhendwa, founder and CEO of AstiFerme and winner of the Women in Ag Award (Agriculture), DR Congo Joëlla Mujijima Buhendwa leads a circular agriculture initiative that transforms household organic waste into high-quality animal feed and organic fertilizer through the farming of black soldier flies. A model that reduces pollution, replaces imported protein sources, […]

Alicia won third prize in the “Agribusiness” category

At only 26, Alicia Gómez Giménez impressed the WiA Awards jury with Manderly Agriculture, the project she built from scratch on an island with almost no agricultural activity. We had a talk with her right before the award ceremony at Agritechnica, last November. How was Manderly Agriculture born, and why did you decide to start a […]

“It’s a very exciting and hopeful time to be a woman in agriculture in Africa!”

Sarah Msambira is the Director at Small Farm Cities and women in agriculture mentor, Lilongwe (Malawi) She was one of the nominees for the Women in Ag Awards 2023, held at AgriTechnica: it was high time you met Sarah Msambira. A farmer’s daughter from Salima, Malawi, Sarah is the Director of Agriculture at Small […]

Encounter – Growing food, minds and leaders

An interview with black farmer and food justice activist Raqueeb Bey Not all farmers live and work in a rural area. When we think of farmers, we often picture them in a setting of endless fields on the countryside. However, things are moving in the big cities, where poor communities are all too often […]

“Rural women are the sources of vast knowledge in resilient seeds, herbs and animals”

Judith Bakirya, Busaino Herbs & Fruits, Busoga (Uganda) Women in agriculture are drivers of innovation in our industry. They think out of the box, are adaptable to challenges and are often the first to diversify or innovate on the farm. The podium at the Women in Ag Awards 2024 ceremony, celebrating the achievements of […]

“Women’s stories deserve to be heard!”

Jana Gäbert, manager Agrargenossenschaft Trebbin eG and winner of the Women in Ag Awards 2024, Berlin area (Germany) Jana Gäbert, a farmer and scientist as well as a mother, champions fair milk prices, biodiversity, and gender equality in agriculture. She is part of the management of Agrargenossenschaft Trebbin eG in eastern Germany, a farmers’ […]

“We have to teach younger generations of all races about the importance of agriculture”

Rizpah Bellard, cattle rancher, Fresno, CA (USA) Rizpah Bellard was raised on a cattle ranch in Guinda, California and decided to pursue an education and career in agriculture. Nothing really out of the ordinary at first sight, except that she is the only Black female cattle rancher in California and the Central Valley, an […]

“Women are incredible bringers-together of community and facilitators of spaces where knowledge can be shared”

Roisin Beck Taylor, flower grower & florist, Verde Flower Co., Newcastle Upon Tyne (UK) Growing up in a rural area in County Durham, England, where she helped on a farm as a teenager, Roisin Beck Taylor feels a deep connection to agriculture. Working alongside her mother on her small-scale flower farm for a few […]

“It’s no longer all about physical strength if you want to do this work”

Johanna & Anneke Mohr, potato farmers, Kreis Dithmarschen (Germany) Kreis Dithmarschen is a tiny region in the northwest of Germany, in the state of Schleswig-Holstein. This region, which was still part of the sea five hundred years ago, has incredibly fertile soil, perfect for agriculture. It’s here that the Mohr family grows their seed potatoes. We […]

“Taking over from my parents was natural”

Petra Mayböck-Froschauer, egg farmer, Taufkirchen an den Pram (Austria) In the quiet Austrian countryside near the border with Germany, we find the tiny upper Austrian village of Taufkirchen an den Pram. The village counts approximately 2000 inhabitants and… 6000 chickens. Petra Mayböck-Froschauer is the head of egg farm Reiterer. The daughter of farmers, taking over […]