20 women, one goal: to broaden horizons and strengthen agribusiness. The Women.Talk.Agribusiness programme, sponsored by the Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), has brought together dedicated female entrepreneurs and managers from Kenya and Germany for an inspiring cross-border dialogue.
A central component of the programme was the two four-day meetings: in December 2024, the ladies met in Nairobi, Kenya, and in April 2025 in Berlin, Germany. In both countries, the focus was on direct exchange between participants – visiting company premises, agricultural businesses and key players in the industry.
More than an exchange – a partnership
Both trips have not only strengthened professional networks, but also created personal connections. Numerous contacts have been made and new business relationships initiated – both within the countries and between female entrepreneurs from Kenya and Germany.
One real lasting result of the exchange is that the Kenyan ladies have founded their own “Women in Agribusiness” network, inspired by the German model.
Valuable insights along the entire value chain
The focus was the same in both countries: discovering innovative companies and exchanging ideas with a wide variety of key players. One particular highlight was visiting participants’ companies – both in Kenya and in Germany. In Kenya, the ladies visited the Karakuta farm run by participant Grace Ngungi, which produces avocados, herbs and more for the European market. At CKL, another participant, Catherine Gitobu, and her team provided insights into producing fertiliser for East Africa. The downstream sector of the agricultural value chain was also represented: at NatureLock, participant Tei Mukunya produces high-quality instant food for the Kenyan market from fresh ingredients using freeze-drying – the first of its kind in Kenya.
In Berlin, participants were invited to Hagemann Dienste GmbH. Host Bettina Hagemann and her team showed how high-quality animal feed is produced from food industry waste. And Heike Engels, Head of Purchasing at Lieken, invited guests to Germany’s most modern industrial bakery in Wittenberg, where bread and baked goods are being produced for the European market.
Eye-to-eye encounters
In addition to the company visits, the programme has provided numerous opportunities for exchanging with inspiring figures from political and business worlds: in Berlin, participants talked with Her Excellency Stella Orina, Kenyan Ambassador to Germany, and Fatuma Hashim , Trade Attachée for Kenya, as well as others. Representatives of the Deutscher Raiffeisenverband, BMEL State Secretary Silvia Bender and other key agribusiness organisations also made valuable contributions to the programme.
A strong network for strong women
Women.Talk.Agribusiness is an established format that broadens horizons, opens up business opportunities and promotes personal development. It was organised by Andreas Hermes Akademie together with the female entrepreneurs committee of the German Farmers’ Association (DBV) and the network Women in Agribusiness (WiA) Germany. Special thanks go to Susanne Schulze Bockeloh, DBV Vice President, and Hella Otten, WiA founder, who have made the programme so successful thanks to their superb networks.
