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January 2023 |
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| Margareta Koltai, thematic advisor for fair and sustainable livelihood. Photo: Magdalena Vogt. |
Women farmers could play a key role in strengthening global food security and improve the livelihoods of Farmer Based Organizations, if they get proper access to financial services.
– If we want to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, we need to invest in rural women’s equal access to economic opportunities, says Margareta Koltai.
Margareta Koltai is Act Church of Sweden’s thematic advisor for fair and sustainable livelihood. In December, she visited some of the Farmer Bases Organizations (FBOs) in Kenya who are part of the IFIL-project (Innovative Finance for Improved Livelihoods).
– Female farmers in East Africa face so many challenges; limiting norms and traditions, lack of access to finance and an incredibly heavy work load, but they also have amazing strengths, says Margareta.
When travelling through the Kenyan countryside, the effects of climate change and the recent drought were eminent. Failed crops, water shortages and dried up wetlands were some of the most obvious issues that immediately hit the eye and have affected agricultural production very hard.
– Some of the most alarming setbacks for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) in recent years are related to people’s food security and sustainable livelihoods, a reality that the farmers we spoke to also confirmed, continues Margareta.
Erratic rain falls and water shortages have made farmers much more vulnerable. During the field visit, many people on the ground were quick to inquire for new irrigation systems and dams.
– People are used to asking for money and hardware. However, money alone is definitely not going to create development. Instead, we need to get innovative and change the way we do things, says Margareta.
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Jaciutah Nokuku is from Machakos Union, one of the cooperatives in IFIL. She emphasizes the importance of collaborating together.
– Thanks to the cooperative we have been able to control more steps of the value chain. We are now doing the milling and packaging so that we can sell the coffee locally and at a higher price.
Photo: Siri Troili
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One of the major objectives with the IFIL-project is to improve the livelihoods of FBOs, but not by building irrigation systems, rather through capacity building and increased access to finance. The investments that are needed can then be paid for by their own businesses and cooperatives. It is also essential to put demands on local government authorities to also invest in needed infrastructure, not just in urban, but also in the rural development.
– I want these farmers to be business champions. They don’t need to be receivers of aid, they are people worth investing in. During this trip, it really struck me how important it is that we all start seeing these farmers that way, and that they change the way they perceive themselves too.
Women’s economic empowerment is another aspect that Margareta believes is fundamental for fair and sustainable development.
– Women play such an important role when it comes to agricultural work and providing the world with food. Yet, rural women have very limited access to finance and opportunities to actually grow their businesses. Therefore, projects like these are really important to contribute to the economic empowerment of women, which also leads to better food security in the long run.
The groups of women from the different FBOs that Margareta met are also much more than just loan- and savings groups, or business partners. They support each other, share experiences and tackle both financial challenges and family problems together.
– I was really impressed by the collective strength in these cooperatives and how they tackled different issues together. This is a resource we cannot afford to fail investing in. |
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In order to learn more about how financial
services can help strengthen female farmers
and cooperatives, Act Church of Sweden funded the study Reach, benefit and Empower Women with Financial Services.
Key findings on women’s access to finance:
- Set explicit goals related to women’s economic empowerment;
- Develop financial products based on a good understanding of the needs and wishes of different categories of women;
- Develop marketing and distribution systems that are appropriate for women;
- Put in place monitoring systems to measure outcome and impact on women’s economic empowerment. |
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