Food Health Systems Advisory (FHSA) has launched two catalytic initiatives focused on bridging technical talent gaps and empowering women to lead food systems transformation.

The unveiling event in Lagos featured the launch of the Young Female Food Professionals (YFP) Fellowship and FoodPloy Workforce Platform. 

Both are designed to equip women with the skills, mentorship, and opportunities to thrive in leadership and technical roles across the continent’s food ecosystem.

The YFP Fellowship, part of FHSA’s Advancing Nutrition Through Female-led Food Processing (ANTFem) programme supported by the Gates Foundation, will provide early-career women with intensive training, mentorship, technical certification, and strategic placements in large-scale industries and women-led enterprises. From over 500 applications, only 10 fellows were selected to form the inaugural cohort.

At the launch, stakeholders from government, industry, and development sectors highlighted the urgent need to move women beyond low-level roles in agriculture and food processing, despite making up over 60 per cent of Africa’s food workforce.

The second initiative, FoodPloy, is a pan-African workforce platform to connect skilled food professionals with employers seeking industry-ready talent. 

With three service tiers, FoodPloy Executive, Core, and Flex, it offers tailored solutions for senior hires, mid-level roles, and freelance positions in food science, processing, and regulation.

Speakers at the event emphasised the importance of inclusion, mentorship, and systemic reform in addressing food and nutrition challenges. 

The initiatives are expected to fill workforce gaps and build a pipeline of capable women who will shape Africa’s food systems for the future.

Source:  Guardian