Women have long played a crucial role in agriculture, from smallholder farming to large-scale agribusiness. In recent years, more women-led agribusiness initiatives have emerged, redefining the industry through innovation, sustainability, and economic empowerment.
These initiatives address food security challenges, introduce ethical and sustainable farming practices, empower rural communities, and leverage technology to enhance productivity. This article explores four outstanding women-led agribusiness initiatives making waves in the industry.
Salma Abdulai
Agribusiness Initiative: AMAATI Co. Ltd
Source: Cartier Women’s Initiative
AMAATI Co. Ltd is a Ghanaian agribusiness revitalising Fonio cultivation to empower landless rural women in the country’s savannah regions. Co-founded by Salma Abdulai, the company takes a market-led approach to restoring degraded lands by supporting women in growing Fonio, an Indigenous, climate-resilient cereal. AMAATI provides farming support, guarantees market prices, and processes Fonio into various products for local and export markets.
Salma, an agricultural economist with over a decade of experience working with small-scale farmers and women’s groups, was driven by her first-hand experiences of rural women’s struggles. She realised that cultural traditions deprived many women of access to fertile land, leaving them with only degraded plots unsuitable for conventional crops. Discovering Fonio’s ability to thrive in these conditions without fertilisers, she set out to support women farmers by initially founding an NGO. As demand grew, she transitioned to a social enterprise model, securing land, markets, and processing infrastructure for large-scale Fonio production.
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AMAATI is the only Ghanaian company fully commercialising Fonio, a sustainable, nutritious alternative to rice and wheat. Its flagship product, DIM Fonio, is gluten and sugar-free and suitable for diabetics, the elderly, and health-conscious consumers. As of September 2021, the company has a workforce of 80% women and envisions scaling up its farmer network to 100,000 within five years, expanding its local and international market reach.
Wanjiru Mambo
Agribusiness Initiative: Wedgehut Foods Ltd
Wanjiru Mambo is a Kenyan entrepreneur reshaping Africa’s agrarian landscape through a robust potato value chain. As the founder and director of Wedgehut Foods Ltd, she combines entrepreneurial skill with a commitment to uplifting smallholder farmers and enhancing food security across the continent. Since its launch in 2021, Wedgehut Foods has grown into a leading potato processing enterprise, supplying fresh-cut, ready-to-cook potatoes to hotels, restaurants, hospitals, schools, and caterers. With a processing capacity of up to four tonnes per day, the company ensures a steady supply of high-quality potatoes while eliminating middlemen and increasing farmers’ earnings.
Wanjiru’s journey into agribusiness was a post-COVID triumph. What started as a car boot sale of surplus potatoes from a closed restaurant has evolved into a full-scale enterprise. She has forged strategic alliances with Equity Bank, Syngenta E.A, Seed Producers, and the National Potato Council of Kenya, ensuring the sustainability of the potato supply chain.
Her commitment to food security and farmer empowerment has earned her accolades, such as the Zuri Awards (Agriculture Impact) 2023 and the AGRA WAYA (Woman of the Year Agripreneur Award) first runner-up.
A key factor that sets Wedgehut Foods apart is its farm-to-fork approach. The company works closely with farmers, providing training on smart agricultural practices, certified seed usage, best farming techniques, and financial literacy.
This guarantees a consistent supply of premium-quality potatoes while strengthening the economic resilience of rural communities. Food safety is also at the core of Wedgehut’s operations, with a well-structured food management system that ensures product integrity and customer confidence.
Starting with just three employees in a small facility, Wedgehut Foods has expanded to a team of 35, 21 of whom are women. Wanjiru is passionate about empowering women with minimal formal education and providing job opportunities and training in financial literacy, personal hygiene, and household management.
Despite coming from an agricultural family—her parents were extension officers—Wanjiru initially had little interest in farming. However, her exposure to business from an early age, especially after her mother ventured into entrepreneurship following her father’s passing, shaped her drive for innovation.
With a background in accounting and marketing, Wanjiru has built multiple businesses, including Mambo Express Courier Limited, which serves the e-commerce market, and a restaurant chain that inspired her entry into potato processing.
Looking ahead, Wanjiru envisions Wedgehut Foods becoming Africa’s leading processor of potato products, expanding into flour, starch, flakes, frozen potatoes, and even potato-based vodka. She aims to tap into export markets, including the UAE and other African nations, while inspiring young women to take a more active role in the agricultural value chain.
Rukssana Saide
Agribusiness Initiative: Dream Agrobusiness Lda
Source: Lionesses of Africa
Dream Agrobusiness Lda is a Mozambican agribusiness committed to empowering small-scale farmers and fostering economic growth in rural communities. Founded by Rukssana Saide in 2016, the company integrates production, marketing, and farmer assistance and specialises in grains, oilseeds, and cereals. Dream Agrobusiness is transforming agriculture into a sustainable livelihood for many by supporting local producers and ensuring market access.
Rukssana, an accountant and business management expert, found her true calling in agriculture despite her financial career. Driven by a passion for land and community development, she established Dream Agrobusiness to bridge the knowledge gap in farming, challenge the notion that small-scale farming is only for the uneducated, and promote commercial agriculture within Mozambique. Her company not only produces its own crops but also purchases surplus from small farmers, providing technical assistance to enhance productivity.
With a diverse team of 30 employees—50% women and 50% men—Dream Agrobusiness prioritises equity, youth employment, and innovation. The company operates in communities where women traditionally have limited opportunities, actively challenging societal norms by fostering female participation in agribusiness.
Rukssana’s vision extends beyond her company’s growth. By 2028, she aims to transform the lives of 10,000 smallholder farming families through capacity-building and market inclusion. She also spearheads a reforestation initiative, planting 20,000 fruit trees to restore agricultural lands. Her long-term goal is establishing an industrial complex with processing facilities, warehouses, and sustainable living conditions for employees and community stakeholders.
Joyce Kamande
Agribusiness Initiative: Safi Organics
Source: Lionesses of Africa
Joyce Kamande is a Kenyan social entrepreneur and co-founder of Safi Organics, a company revolutionising fertiliser production through localised, tech-driven solutions. Born and raised in the semi-arid regions of central Kenya, she witnessed firsthand the struggles of smallholder farmers and the impact of declining soil fertility.Â
In 2015, shortly after graduating, she co-founded Safi Organics to provide affordable, carbon-negative fertilisers tailored to local soil conditions. Safi Organics uses hardware technology and an IoT-enabled control system to decentralise fertiliser production, eliminating long-distance transportation costs and making high-quality fertilisers more accessible.
By transforming locally available agricultural waste into nutrient-rich biochar-based fertilisers, the company helps farmers increase their yields by up to 30% while improving soil health and moisture retention.
As Chief Operating Officer, Joyce has streamlined business operations, creating employment opportunities for over 50 rural youths and a total workforce of 65. Safi Organics currently supplies fertilisers to over 35,000 farmers in Kenya and aims to scale its impact to 100 million farmers in Africa.
Joyce’s entrepreneurial journey began when she volunteered for a research project on waste management during her final year at university. Realising the potential to transform rural farming communities, she partnered with her co-founder, Samuel Rigu, to develop an innovative fertiliser production model.
Their patented technology, validated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), enables village-level fertiliser production customised to specific soil and crop needs. This approach is not possible with traditional one-size-fits-all fertilisers.
Safi Organics also provides soil testing and agronomic services, ensuring farmers receive tailored solutions for improved productivity. The company’s flagship product, Safi Sarvi, is a sustainable alternative to synthetic fertilisers that reduces dependency on chemical inputs and irrigation while enhancing soil fertility.
