A worker in a food processing facility smiles while handling packaged food items.

News Release:

TechnoServe Calls for Greater Private Sector Investment in Women Across Food Systems

During the International Year of the Woman Farmer, TechnoServe highlights the need for the private sector to identify and invest in opportunities that enable women to lead and participate meaningfully in agrifood markets.

WASHINGTON, October 15, 2026 — As the world marks the International Year of the Woman Farmer, TechnoServe is calling on agribusinesses, donors, and development partners to examine where investing in women can improve business performance and create greater economic opportunities for all.

Women account for 53% of retail trade workers, 50% of food processing and food service workers, and 38% of the agricultural labor force, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. Yet their contributions are often overlooked in supplier records and business data, leaving companies with an incomplete picture of the people they depend on and the opportunities to improve their operations.

Vegetable farmer Bindu Devi, a member of a Farmer Producer Group, carries her vegetables in a basket to the local market in Machahi village, Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India.

“The private sector is sleeping on a vital opportunity to strengthen its bottom line and build more resilient value chains by investing in women,” said Cristina Manfre, TechnoServe’s senior director, Global Practice for Women and Youth. “Our work with smallholders farmers and entrepreneurs demonstrates how investing in women can be a commercial opportunity for agribusinesses. This is key to strengthening food systems and creating sustainable pathways out of poverty for women and their families.” 

The commercial opportunity varies by business. For a coffee exporter, it may mean increasing production and improving quality. For another company, it may mean building a more reliable supplier base or reaching new customers. Businesses can identify these opportunities by examining women’s roles in their value chains, addressing barriers to their participation, and measuring the results against their commercial priorities.

“We want companies to look at where women are already contributing to their businesses and where existing practices may be holding them back,” Manfre said. “That could mean changing how they deliver training, register suppliers, or provide access to finance. The important thing is to measure what those changes cost and what they deliver for the business. That’s how we build the evidence companies need to continue investing in women.”

For example, in Tanzania, coffee exporter Cotacof found that women played an important role in coffee production but accounted for only 10% of recorded deliveries. The company adjusted its training schedules and locations to reach more women and encouraged their participation in demonstration plots and coffee-tree renewal activities. Households where women and men received training produced 30% more green coffee per tree than households where only men participated, suggesting that including women in training may have contributed to higher production.

In 2025, 44% of the people and businesses TechnoServe supported were women or women-owned, and the organization aims to reach parity. TechnoServe works to expand women’s economic opportunities by helping them gain skills, access resources, and strengthen their confidence and decision-making power. It also works with communities to address social norms and with businesses and other market actors to adopt practices that support women’s participation and growth.

During the International Year of the Woman Farmer, TechnoServe is encouraging agribusinesses to examine where women contribute to their operations, identify barriers that may be affecting business performance, and test changes that address those barriers. Working with companies, donors, and other partners, TechnoServe aims to generate the evidence businesses need to sustain and expand investments that improve commercial results and women’s economic opportunities.

Notes to Editor

About TechnoServe

Founded in 1968, TechnoServe is a leader in harnessing the power of the private sector to help people lift themselves out of poverty for good. A non-profit organization working in around 30 countries, we work with people to build a better future through regenerative farms, businesses, and markets that increase incomes. Our vision is a sustainable world where all people in low-income communities have the opportunity to prosper.

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