Cepham, a supplier specializing in medicinal herbs, is rolling out a plan to address gender inequity within its workforce across the smallholder farms in India and Africa which contribute to 80% of its supply.
 
Of these smallholder farm owners, only 28% are women, despite making up 50% of the stakeholders.
 
“Women are looking at the food supply with different eyes. Women see every ingredient as food that will nourish the family, and this is vastly different from the traditional male mindset,” said Anand Swaroop, PhD, founder and president of Cepham. “This perspective is something we profoundly lack in our supply chain – that human element, a consciousness that is so critical.”
 
According to research from Procurious, an online supply chain and procurement network, 74% of women across 145 countries who are involved in the supply chain and procurement industry reported experiencing gender-based workplace adversity.
 
Cepham will begin by analyzing data it has collected throughout the years for gender-based economic indicators, with a few large-sector fertilizer companies in India working on additional information. The company is developing a process to anonymize worker’s names and genders to eliminate bias, and identify the most productive workers to reward them accordingly with no knowledge of their gender.
 
The company also plans to set gender equity goals for: education and training, microfinance, crop insurance, and vocational training programs; awareness campaigns to address underlying social biases; developing partnerships with suppliers that prioritize gender equality; leverage data to identify gaps in workforce diversity; and advocate for change within supplier networks and the industry at large.
 
“Gandhi said, ‘be the change you wish to see in the world,’ and so we have embarked on a data-based journey to balance resources,” said Swaroop. “In the past three decades, we have witnessed multiple examples of tangible commercial benefits of women’s participation in our supply chain, but we also recognize major disparities. We want to use our time and capital to change that negative momentum and trend.”
 
The company will use available resources to improve access to education, vocational training, and skill development programs for women, and an increased access to credit women farmers. The company will seek out private sector and non-governmental organization initiatives to provide better working conditions and fair wages for female agricultural workers. Additionally, the company will look to international organizations that provide equitable access to land rights and other resources, such as the United Nations’ Fund for Gender Equality.