The Leading African Women in Food Fellowship (LAWFF) Program

Deadline: 18th February 2024

The Leading African Women in Food Fellowship (LAWFF) Program is a transformative initiative designed to empower and celebrate women leaders in the African food and agriculture sector.

Over a six-month period, the program provides training, mentorship, and a supportive community for outstanding female disruptors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, chefs, trendsetters, and storytellers. LAWFF actively promotes gender equality, contributes to poverty reduction, and fosters sustainable economic growth, aligning with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Award Categories

• Top Chefs in Africa – Culinary artists who, through their creativity and innovative cooking methods, are changing narratives about African food.
• Trailblazers – Accomplished change agents who have made ground-breaking contributions to the African food ecosystem and paved the way for others.
• Food/Beverage Narrative Changers – Story-tellers and digital media gurus that create content, experiences, or products that amplify positive changes and opportunities in the ecosystem, change global narratives and connect people to different African foods and beverages (e.g., journalist, food blogger, food stylist, curator, content creator, consumer packaged goods entrepreneur, etc.).
• Disruptors – Create or adapt tools, models, approaches, and/or harness technology to solve challenges within the food system (e.g., inventor, researcher, product developer, intrapreneur, etc.)
• Ecosystem Enablers – Private, public, and non-profit leaders who introduce and scale innovative products, ideas, and/or opportunities that contribute to a more sustainable and inclusive food system

Program Component

• Amplify, celebrate, and champion the work of African female changemakers in food and agriculture.
• Dedicated data-based curriculum for training and knowledge dissemination.
• Six months of training sessions by leading experts and global mentors.
• Facilitate access to critical connections and resources to advance the innovative work of female changemakers in the food ecosystem.
• Engagement of program fellows in activities such as peer-to-peer learning, sharing experiences, establishing buddy systems, networking, conducting assessments, and collaboratively creating innovative solutions.
• Diagnostic tool assessments to evaluate the program’s effectiveness and impact on the fellows.
• Media and advocacy opportunities, provision of local and international platforms for the beneficiaries to engage stakeholders, access financing, advocate for effective policies, and drive sector-wide change.
• Accelerate gender equity in the food and agriculture landscape.​

Eligibility