The African Food Changemakers (AFC) has announced the launch of the Leading African Women in Food Fellowship (LAFF), a one-year programme aimed at supporting women across the African agri-food value chain.
The program seeks to identify and recognise changemakers who are making significant contributions and creating impacts in the African food ecosystem. Nominees can be from any African country and in any field within the agri-food value chain, including chefs, scientists, beverage masters, agripreneurs, policymakers, among others.
Founder of AFC, Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, expressed her excitement about the prospects of the fellowship in amplifying, championing, and advancing the work of African women changemakers.
The AFC team has curated five nomination categories for identifying and selecting the most outstanding fellows, including disruptors, trailblazers, food and beverage narrative changers, top chefs in Africa, and ecosystem enablers.
The nominees will be screened and showcased through a public voting process, followed by a review by an independent selection committee composed of highly respected leaders in the gender movement and the food ecosystem.
The LAFF programme aligns with the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day: “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.” The fellows will benefit from training, coaching, and a range of activities to enhance their impact and visibility over a six-month period.
This is the latest effort by AFC to support agri-food entrepreneurs in Africa through its programmes, resources, and membership hub. Since its inception in 2019, AFC has successfully implemented the Entrepreneur Support Program (ESP), the Youth in Agri-food Export Development Program (YAEDP), and the Narrative Changers African Food Fellowship.
The official launch of LAFF is scheduled for Friday, 3 March 2023, in collaboration with Sahel Consulting, and will feature speakers drawn from both the private and development sectors. AFC coordinating manager, Somawina Nwegbu, said that nominations for the fellowship opened in early February and would continue up to Thursday, 8 March 2023, to coincide with International Women’s Day.
The LAFF programme is a significant step towards supporting and recognizing women’s contribution to the African food ecosystem. With initiatives like LAFF and the other programmes implemented by AFC, more women are being empowered to participate and contribute to the African agri-food value chain.
For more details about LAFF and how to participate, visit: www.laff.afchub.org
