News

Women make a crucial contribution to agriculture in West and Central Africa.

However, they still face serious gender-based challenges, especially when they are entrepreneurs.

With this in mind, CORAF is bringing together women working in the seed industry in Abidjan from April 11 onwards, to train them in best practices in seed production and seed business management.

"Women are involved in the seed sector, particularly in seed processing and laboratories. But as entrepreneurs, women face a serious gender gap in access to productive resources and competitive markets", says Dr Mariame MAÏGA, Regional Gender and Social Development Advisor at CORAF.

"It is with the aim of bridging this gap and promoting women's entrepreneurship that CORAF is organizing this training course, which is aimed solely at women working in the seed industry, despite stereotypes," she explains.

Over a 5-day period, twenty-five women will be trained in a variety of topics: techniques for producing, drying, processing and storing quality seeds, seed quality control and compliance with regional seed certification systems, commercial management of the seed business, women's leadership and the seed trade, and much more. 

The training modules should improve participants' knowledge and skills in quality seed production and the regulatory aspects of seed production in West and Central Africa, and provide them with the essential knowledge needed to manage seed businesses.

"Participants will acquire skills that will help them better position themselves in the seed industry, whether in seed production or marketing," says Dr MAÏGA. 

"Currently in West and Central Africa, access to quality seeds is not yet assured for all farmers. Greater involvement of women in the sector will undoubtedly narrow the gap by making quality seeds accessible, especially to smallholders", emphasizes Dr Yacouba DIALLO, Agricultural Inputs Expert at CORAF. 

The workshop takes into account the challenges associated with vegetatively propagated crops such as cassava and banana - which, by their nature, production and distribution, are not attractive to commercial enterprises - fodder species for livestock, fingerlings, etc., all of which have commercial potential for women.

The capacity-building initiative is part of the Partnership for Agricultural Research, Education and Development in West Africa (PAIRED) program, and above all in line with CORAF's gender strategy.

Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Regional Mission for West Africa, PAIRED is a program designed to strengthen CORAF on the one hand, and on the other, to facilitate the scaling-up of technologies and increase the production and availability of quality seeds for West African farmers.