The rise of the urban agripreneur

Something positive is happening in our cities, on our rooftops, in our urban waste spaces - and it is being led by a new generation of eco-conscious women entrepreneurs. As many people are thinking about becoming more resilient, more self-sufficient during the time of Coronavirus, there is a desire to reconnect people with their food and the environment through urban agriculture. Permaculture is a set of design principles centered on replicating natural ecosystems in our urban spaces - and it is becoming an interesting new space for women entrepreneurs to move into for their impact-driven businesses. They are finding innovative new ways of promoting sustainability and self-reliance by creating managed agri-ecosystems modeled on natural ones, right in our backyards. Josephine Katumba, founder of Biakudia Urban Farming Solutions, is a South African agripreneur building a successful business by turning waste spaces into urban farms. As a result, she is empowering local communities to become food self-sufficient, and transforming underutilized spaces in the city into magnificent urban farms. Josephine is not alone - she is part of a growing number of women entrepreneurs in Africa who are finding solutions to urban food security and building community resilience.