Editorial Food Business Africa - Jan/Feb 2023

Food industry makes progress in gender diversity, but challenges still abound

The food industry globally has made progressive changes in recent years, particularly when it comes to promoting gender splits in the workforce. According to GlobalData, Mondelez, General Mills, Hershey, Kraft Heinz, and Danone were among the food companies with “significant women representation” in their workforce in 2021. Closer home in Africa, leading companies from East African Breweries to Coca-Cola Beverages Africa have all made deliberate efforts towards increasing women participation in the food industry.

EABL has several successful diversity and inclusion programs, including the Spirited Women program for female employees' career development, a STEM Apprentice program to increase gender representation in the manufacturing sector, and a Commercial Graduate program that provides handson experience in commerce fields for female professionals. The efforts are paying off. In 2022, represented 66% of the EABL Group’s Management Team.

CCBA takes a more wholistic approach to gender diversty. while it has a significant proportion of women in its workforce, the company has invested heavily in empowerment programs that are aimed at supporting women to establish and expand businesses in the food value chain. About 2 million women in Africa have so far been equipped to succeed as entrepreneurs through Coca-Cola System’s 5by20

women empowerment initiative. In 2022 alone, CCBA empowered more than 17,000 women with foundational business skills, coaching, and support, according to Tshidi Ramogase, CCBA Director Public Affairs, Communications, & Sustainability.

As a way to celebrate the progress made by the food industry, the 56th issue of Food Business Africa features Wedgehut Foods Limited, a fast-rising food processing company in Kenya’s capital Nairobi that is led by a woman by the name Wanjiru Mambo. Starting at the height of the pandemic, the company has defied all odds to establish a name for itself in Kenya’s potato value chain. Read the full story on page 38.

Elsewhere in the magazine, we highlight how technology can be use to maximise the potential of Kenya’s informal diary industry. With sleep becoming a major issue globally, this issue also explores how the food industry is innovating products to help consumers snooze better.

With these and many more articles on the latest news and trends in the food industry, this issue like its predecessors is definitely a must read

We wish you nothing but an insightful, inspirational and enjoyable reading journey.

Paul Ongeto, Senior Editor FW Africa