Kgodiso Development Fund seeks to empower black female farmers

South Africa needs to force the gender agenda into the mainstream through deliberate actions and amplify the policies of transformation to empower black female farmers – particularly that of land tenure and property rights, and also changing gender roles for women in the agricultural sector.

This is according to Nonie Mokose who serves as an independent trustee and chairperson of the Investment Committee at Kgodiso Development Fund.

Kgodiso Development Fund is an independent fund founded by PepsiCo Sub-Saharan Africa which aims to support and advance the broad socioeconomic imperatives of education, SMMEs, emerging farmers and enterprise development across PepsiCo’s value chain.

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“Looking at the different metrics of gender transformation it is evident that South Africa has performed relatively well in closing the gender-parity gap. However, we must continue to be deliberate in implementing a broad range of transformation initiatives to deal with issues affecting women and the youth,” says Mokose.

She believes that for the country to progress the agriculture transformation agenda, it has to provide black women (and other previously disempowered people) with access to productive land and other resources for sustainable development and farming activities.

No collateral to secure funding

She explains that many black farmers without land struggle to access funding from formal financial institutions because they don’t possess collateral. 

Land access provided to farmers, as a solution employed by the government, does not work as collateral because farmers in some instances are leasing this.

“This constrains black farmers from growing and participating in mainstream markets and competing with and participating as commercial farmers,” Mokose said.

The Kgodiso Development fund has thereby been mandated to look at creating ‘shared value’ solutions that ultimately help build a sustainable food system.

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“We are looking to increase inclusivity in agriculture, create local employment opportunities, and boost local procurement and supplier diversity within the PepsiCo supply chain,” she explained.

“Sustainable food systems cannot be established and maintained by any one entity or sector. It literally takes a village. Partnerships between the private sector, governments, NGOs, and the communities in which all operate are required to work together to create these by transforming the way we grow, process and consume,” she said.

Kgodiso Development Fund has ringfenced R300 million to support Black emerging farmers. “But importantly, it is not just about funding. The partnerships the Fund is leveraging provide mentoring, and technical skills, innovation in farming techniques and access to markets to these emerging farmers. The combination of which is set to transform our country’s food systems,” concludes Mokose.