Women in Agri-Startups

Note: Written this for the Female Co-Founder leading the Agri-tech company!

Whenever tea is served in a household, the majority think of it AS being made by a woman!

But, does one think of it as coming from a woman-owned cattle?

The milk in the tea came from cattle that were well kept and milked (mostly) by a woman, yet they were kept in the name of the man of the house.

Yes, you heard that right! A woman nurtures the sector, yet it is still men who take the lead.

Women in India account for the majority of total employment in dairy management and production. Despite this, they remain nameless, faceless, and underappreciated.

Even though women perform a myriad of roles and activities such as cattle care, feed collection, cleaning of cattle, and processing milk into various products, the agricultural sector remains male-dominated.

Women play a significant role in livestock management and production, but their control over livestock and its products is negligible.

On this note,

I am Aashna Singh, Co-Founder & COO at Mooofarm, an agritech startup located in Gurugram, thriving to evolve the face of the sector by organizing over $50 billion pre-farm gate dairy sector – with strong operational and technical expertise – for the market that is large and unexplored, constituting 4.6% of India’s GDP. 

Yes, you heard me talking in numbers and with strong farsightedness. Being in a sector, man-faced by all, I am here talking from the front for all those faceless and nameless women in your farms and our farms, without whose nurture, the nature of management and production falls flat.

Changes are slow, but it is happening!

In the present time of evolution and innovation, the startup ecosystem is evolving the way of consuming things and doing business. With a shift came a surge in women-founded/owned companies.

If we go by reports (MSCI ESG’s), companies progressing with women leadership generate higher return equity than others. Thanks to those same stereotypes that used to push women behind doors that has brought them out strong in the world: being more inclined toward ethics and strong cultural values. Being empathetic toward your consumer needs and aspirations is pivotal, and who better than a woman can hit the nail on the head? 

With time it has been proved that women are better managers of an enterprise than men. 

In a nutshell, being a woman in the sector, when I attend sector gatherings, needless to say, the majority present are men. But, with time, those awkward silences and greetings have turned into welcoming gestures and open-mindedness. 

Change is infectious! It is spreading.