Born into a generation of smallholder women farmers and having lived through the experiences of my community in West Africa, I have witnessed firsthand the pervasive inefficiencies and systemic obstacles that the majority of smallholder women farmers must navigate in order to survive. More often than not, they are caught in a vicious cycle of non-existent or inefficient farming infrastructure, limited market access, and subsistence-oriented farming, resulting in low yields and insufficient income to cater to their needs or make profitable investments. These factors all contribute to widespread rural poverty.

AgroCINC was conceived as a result of my upbringing in a dusty rural community in West Africa and my firsthand knowledge of how gender prejudice and market forces have consistently operated against women smallholder farmers, leaving them impoverished, hungry, and vulnerable, and in dire need of change.

Having lived with my grandmother, who was a root crop smallholder farmer, I grew up appreciating the necessity and importance of hard work, generosity, perseverance, and teamwork. As women smallholder farmers, they undertake farm work as well as domestic work; therefore, they cannot achieve the same agricultural productivity as men due to their household and societal obligations. Regrettably, with very limited support, they persevere in a failing farming business because farming is all they know, being passed down generationally.

The need for dedicated and specialized support for women smallholder farmers remains the driving force behind building AgroCINC seven years ago. The desire and urgent need to address these existing neglect, gaps, and challenges remain paramount to me, as the objective of empowering women-smallholder-farmers remains a critical component in improving food security in Africa.