Women in Malawi are inspiring the next generation of smallholder farmers to adopt climate-smart technologies.
Sixteen years of consistent learning and practice of climate-smart agriculture, led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), are paying off for Luganu Mwangonde. Together with her husband Kenson, she has established herself as a successful smallholder farmer in Malawi’s Balaka district. She enjoys the multiple benefits of high yields from diverse crops, surplus to sell at the markets and improved soil quality.
By: Rahma I Adam, Florence Sipalla, Pauline Muindi and Vongai Kandiwa
The maize seed sector in East and Southern Africa is
male-dominated. Most seed companies operating in the region are owned and run
by men. Often access to land and financial capital can be a constraint for
women who are keen on investing in agriculture. However, there are women
working in this sector, breaking social barriers, making a contribution to
improving household nutrition and livelihoods by providing jobs and improved
seed varieties.
The gender team within the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) Socioeconomics Program interviewed 9 women involved in the seed business in this region as part of a collection of stories that will be published as a book this May. In honor of International Women’s Day, held March 8, 2019, the CGIAR Research Program on Maize (MAIZE) and CIMMYT would like to share some of their stories to recognize these women—and many others like them—and highlight the important work that women do in seed systems in Africa.
This is Grace Malindi, and this is her story:
Dr. Grace Malindi, 67, started Mgom’mera in 2014 with her sister Florence Kahumbe who had experience in running agro-dealer shops. Florence was key in setting up the business particularly through engagement with agro-dealers, while Grace’s background in extension was valuable in understanding their market. Grace has a Ph.D. in Human and Community Development with a double minor in Gender and International Development and Agriculture Extension and Advisory from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the U.S. Mngom’mera is a family-owned enterprise. Grace’s three children are involved in the business, serving as directors. Her sons Ulemu and Mwai advise on strategic partnership, marketing and business development while her daughter Darlis shares her expertise in finance and accounting. She designed the company’s accounting systems and trained staff on it.
By: Rahma I Adam, Florence Sipalla, Pauline Muindi and Vongai Kandiwa
The maize seed sector in eastern and southern Africa is male-dominated. Most seed companies operating in the region are owned and run by men. Often access to land and financial capital can be a constraint for women who are keen on investing in agriculture. However, there are women working in this sector, breaking social barriers, making a contribution to improving household nutrition and livelihoods by providing jobs and improved seed varieties.
The gender team within the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) Socioeconomics Program interviewed 9 women involved in the seed business in this region as part of a collection of stories that will be published as a book this May. In honor of International Women’s Day, held March 8, 2019, the CGIAR Research Program on Maize (MAIZE) and CIMMYT would like to share some of their stories to recognize these women—and many others like them—and highlight the important work that women do in seed systems in Africa.
This is Zubeda Omari Mduruma, and this is her story:
Dr. Zubeda Mduruma, 65, is a
plant breeder. Raised by farmers, Zubeda took to agriculture from a young age
as she enjoyed helping her parents in the farm. After high school, Zubeda
obtained a BSc in Agriculture then joined Tanzania’s national agriculture
research system, working at Ilonga research station. She then pursued her MSc
in Plant Breeding and Biometry from Cornell University in the U.S. and obtained
a PhD in Plant Breeding at Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania, while
working and raising her family. “I wanted to be in research, so I could breed
materials which would be superior than what farmers were using, because they
were getting very low yields,” says Zubeda. In the 22 years she was at Ilonga,
Zubeda was able to release 15 varieties.
By: Rahma I Adam, Florence Sipalla, Pauline Muindi and Vongai Kandiwa
The maize seed sector in eastern and southern Africa is male-dominated. Most seed companies operating in the region are owned and run by men. Often access to land and financial capital can be a constraint for women who are keen on investing in agriculture. However, there are women working in this sector, breaking social barriers, making a contribution to improving household nutrition and livelihoods by providing jobs and improved seed varieties.
The gender team within the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) Socioeconomics Program interviewed 9 women involved in the seed business in this region as part of a collection of stories that will be published as a book this May. In honor of International Women’s Day, held March 8, 2019, the CGIAR Research Program on Maize (MAIZE) and CIMMYT would like to share some of their stories to recognize these women—and many others like them—and highlight the important work that women do in seed systems in Africa.
This is Sylvia Horemans, and this is her story:
Sylvia Horemans started Kamano Seeds in April 2004 together
with her late husband Desire Horemans. The company derives its name from a
stream that runs through their farm in Mwinilinga, Zambia. Kamano means a
stream that never dries, aptly describing the growth the company has enjoyed
over the years, enabling it to capture 15% of the country’s seed market
share. Silvia became the company’s Chief
Executive Officer in 2016.
