Agritech for Women Farmers 2024

Drivers of the business case for gender-inclusive agritech FIGURE 3 “Feminization” of agricultur e Market shifts Drivers of business case for gender -inclusive agritechPerception shifts Women ar e better borr owers Envir onmental, social and gover nance (ESG) and finance shiftsWomen ar e critical to being a rural brand Reducing the gender gap in smartphones and incr eased use of peer -to-peer communication networksWomen ar e mor e responsiveTher e is evidence acr oss several countries that the participation of women in agricultur e is incr easing due to the outmigration of men. Evidence suggests that women in the agricultur e sector ar e better borrowers than male counterparts. Today , gender is a critical component of the social aspect of ESG frameworks. W ith many impact investors also working on gender equality , being gender inclusive can reduce the cost of finance. With agritechs trying to enter rural markets, ther e is a gr owing recognition that for building creditability it is necessary to be gender inclusive. The rapid incr ease in smartphone access for women in LMICs is reducing acquisition costs for women farmers. Platforms like WhatsApp and Y ouTube ar e enhancing their access to vital information and networking opportunities. Anecdotal evidence suggests that women ar e mor e responsive to the private sector's capacity-building and training efforts, making them better customers fr om an r eturn on investment perspective. Source: World Economic Forum Market shifts In recent years, new trends have emerged that are expected to make serving women farmers more economically viable. These range from the identification of women as critical demand drivers for agritech to the easier availability of impact finance and narrowing gender gaps in smartphone penetration. It is critical to observe that due to these factors, women farmers are poised to become a high-potential market segment for agritech services. This shift calls for attention from agritech service providers to innovate on products, channels and communications. Agritech for Women Farmers: A Business Case for Inclusive Growth 13