Women in Agriculture - Farmsecure

Farmsecure Newsletter, Edition 15, 30 July 2010
INDEX
Women in Agriculture
Who’s Who
Quote of the week
Birthdays
Staff Page
Events
Agriculture in the Media
Next edition 13 August 2010
Women in
Agriculture
“The word Agriculture conjures up images of wholesome
produce, family, good values, hard work and so forth.
From the beginning of man with woman at his side, man
has either worked the soil and woman has tended the
hearth and home, providing stability, prayer in times
of need, silent suffering alongside her man but always
supportive during all the trials and tribulations within
the world of agriculture. In the hunter gatherer societies,
women were actually the tillers of the soil, planters of the
seed and harvesters. In modern times women are farming
single handily, driving harvesters, studying agronomics
and horticulture.
Agriculture without woman is not complete. “
- Maisie Yazbek
Farmsecure Group Manager:
Support Services
Information published in this editorial is private and intended for internal use. Please note that distribution of this material
without prior permission from the Media & Communications Manager is strictly prohibited.

Women in
Agriculture
Written by Elvera Strydom
The 9th of August is Women’s Day, a day were we
herald the challenges and triumphs that women have
come through. With this mind we thought it relevant
to focus this edition of our newsletter on Women in
Agriculture.
Agriculture is a major component of rural incomes,
especially in developing nations where water, land,
livestock, crops, and knowledge are essential for their
livelihood. Access to, control over, and management
of these resources determines which activities are
pursued, which goods may be produced, and whether
the lives of rural families are enhanced or diminished.
Gender determines who has access to these resources
and what kind of access they have. Although women
in developing nations work in the fields, the homes,
outside of the farm, and at the markets, their male
counterparts often dictate decisions over the household
and its economy.
Much of the agricultural work done by women of the
developing world is subsistence agriculture. While
their husbands often go to the cities or large-scale
farms to find work, women are often left to produce
and raise food for their children. Agriculture, especially
subsistence agriculture, is a way of survival for many
women. Their work, however, is often unrecognised.
Despite a growing recognition of women’s work and
contributions to agriculture, women continue to have
unequal access to necessities such as land, water, credit,
supportive networks, and capital.
The United Nations declared a decade for women
between 1970 and 1980. Despite development efforts
during this decade, Sen and Grown (1987) found that
the conditions in which women live and work did not
improve. Since these findings surfaced in the late 1980s,
researchers have re-focused on the question of why and
found that there were several underlying structures
that prevent women from gaining equal social status
to men.
The following researchers have contributed to
understanding women’s role in agriculture, how
gender discrimination impedes access to necessary
resources, and how women demand social change.
Chief Editor Chantal Yazbek, Elvera Strydom Sub-editor & Writer, Layout & Design Dieter Strumpher,
Published by Farmsecure Holdings (PTY) LTD.

Women’s
Work
in Agriculture,
Globalisation,
and Economics
Written by Elvera Strydom
marilyn Waring is a feminist economist, a former
member of the New Zealand Parliament, and a farmer.
In her documentary fi lm, Who’s Counting?, Waring
discusses the invisibility of women’s work, stressing
how women’s work remains unvalued, underpaid, and
unrecognised. In Who’s Counting? Waring discusses
the United Nation’s defi nition of productivity and
work. The United Nations System of National Accounts
states, “Subsistence producers and the consumption of
their own produce by non-primary producers is of little
or no importance.” Waring tells us what this language
means: that the work of non-primary producers (such
as housewives) and much of the work that women do
is considered unimportant in the economic world.
Waring states how women are often invisible in the
market economy because much of what they produce
does not go through the market. The value of childcare
and household work is not included in national accounts.
Waring further describes the language of economics and
how it aff ects women’s work and status. Mariyn Waring’s
documentary is humorous and poignant, and well
worth watching.
Christa Wichterich is a journalist and author of The
Globalized Woman.
In The Globalized Woman, Wichterich critiques how
the globalisation of agriculture negatively aff ects
women’s lives, specifi cally how globalised agriculture
industries aff ect the means of survival for women. In her
chapter entitled “Means of Living: Land for Men, Work for
Women,” Wichterich describes women agriculturalists
and land ownership in Kenya. As in many other places
in the world, women in Kenya do not have access to
resources such as machines, land, credit, and advice that
are necessary to be as productive as men. A study for
the International Food Policy Research Institute points
out, “If women were given the same resources as men,
developing countries would see signifi cant increases in
agricultural productivity.” Despite the fact that women
do not own the land, they are still responsible for most
of the labour done on the land. It is estimated that “75%
of all agricultural labour in Africa is performed by women.”
Men are doing less of the labour on the land that they
own because they are seeking seasonal employment
in cities. The result is a “feminisation of agriculture,”
where women are now responsible for producing market
produce and tending the cattle, in addition to producing
food for consumption by the family. Yet because the
husbands own the soil and the land, the income the
women earn from their hard work is allocated to the
men. This has left Kenyan women in a situation with few
options for improvement.
Chief Editor Chantal Yazbek, Elvera Strydom Sub-editor & Writer, Layout & Design Dieter Strumpher,
Published by Farmsecure Holdings (PTY) LTD.

WORLDWIDE
Agriculture Development,
Intensive Monoculture, and Health
Written by Elvera Strydom
The ‘Green Revolution’, developed by Nobel Peace
Prize winner Norman Borlaug, was a development
initiative that sought to improve yields of rice, wheat,
and maize with genetically modified seeds, intensive
monoculture requiring intensive irrigation, and the use
of pesticides and fertilisers.
Vandana Shiva has written critically and extensively
about the effects of the ‘Green Revolution’ in India and
South Asia, and much of her work focuses on how
the ‘Green Revolution’ has affected women and their
families. Shiva discusses the ‘Green Revolution’ and its
harmful effects on biodiversity in her article, “World
in a Grain of Rice,” originally published in the December
2000 edition of The Ecologist. Shiva is also the director
of the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and
Ecology (RFSTE). The Foundation, along with Navdanya,
has created a Diverse Women for Diversity program
that believes in non-violent resistance to globalisation,
genetic engineering, and patents on life forms.
The intensive pesticide use that characterises many
of the international agricultural development efforts
that target women has been highly criticised. In his
article, “Pesticides and Reproduction - Women Farmers in
Indonesia,” Andrew Watterson states, “The occupational
health issues which women face have often been either
ignored or downplayed by scientists and legislators. This
partly reflects the lack of research or selective research on
women’s health.” The article details the use of pesticides in
Indonesia, identifies effects on women’s reproductive
health, and offers a summary of the epidemiological
studies about women and pesticide use. The Pesticides
News is part of the Pesticide Action Network UK.
Chief Editor Chantal Yazbek, Elvera Strydom Sub-editor & Writer, Layout & Design Dieter Strumpher,
Published by Farmsecure Holdings (PTY) LTD.

Microcredit Projects
The word “microcredit” did not exist before the
seventies. Now it has become a buzz-word among
the development practitioners. Microcredit programs
offer women small loans for small-scale, incomegenerating
projects in agriculture, textiles, and other
fields. Microcredit programs are often funded by nongovernmental
institutions and are often managed by
local women themselves. The Grameen Bank is a wellknown
example of a microcredit program. The Grameen
Bank has given loans to 3.7 million people in Bangladesh.
Ninety-six percent of these borrowers are women.
Their purpose is to end the exploitation of poor women
and men by money lenders and to promote and create
opportunities for self-employment.
Rebuilding Economies through
Agriculture
During the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, over 800,000
people were massacred and 2 million people sought
refuge in neighbouring countries. Many men were killed,
leaving the women to provide for their children. A primary
cash crop in Rwanda before and after the genocide was
coffee. However, as more and more countries produced
coffee for export, the international market for coffee
plummeted. The combination of the genocide and the
drop in coffee demand was devastating for Rwanda’s
economy. In response to these events, several American
and Rwandan Universities collaborated to form the
Partnerships to Enhance Agriculture in Rwanda through
Linkages (PEARL) program. The PEARL program went
into the communities most affected by these events
and established specialty coffee cooperatives. The
PEARL project offers various support programs for
women coffee farmers, including credit and extension
programs, which enable women to grow their own
specialty coffees and to sell them on an international
market for a fair price.
There are a number of agencies and organisations
worldwide that pay attention to women, women
in agriculture and the general needs of women in
developed and developing (rural) nations. We would
like to focus on one such organisation as they provide
important information on women in developing nations
and their involvement in agriculture. This organisation is
called GreenFacts.
The ‘GreenFacts’ organisation’s executive summary
of the IAASTD Synthesis Report states that gender,
that is socially constructed relations between men and
women, is an organising element of existing farming
systems worldwide and a determining factor of
ongoing agricultural restructuring. They note that
current trends in agricultural market liberalisation and
in the re-organisation of farm work, as well as the rise
of environmental and sustainability concerns are
redefining the links between gender and development.
The report says that the proportion of women in
agricultural production and postharvest activities
ranges from 20% to 70%, with women’s involvement
increasing in many developing countries – particularly
with the development of export-oriented irrigated
farming, which is associated with a growing demand for
female labour, including migrant workers.
Ironically, these dynamics have in some ways brought
along certain benefits in general, but the largest
proportion of rural women worldwide continues
to face deteriorating health and work conditions,
limited access to education and control over natural
resources, insecure employment and low income.
Furthermore, it is reported that the situation is due to
a variety of factures, including the growing competition
on agricultural markets which increases the demand
for flexible and cheap labour, growing pressure on
and conflicts over natural resources, the diminishing
support by governments for small-scale farms and the
re-allocation of economic resources in favour of large
ones. Other factors include increasing exposure to risks
Chief Editor Chantal Yazbek, Elvera Strydom Sub-editor & Writer, Layout & Design Dieter Strumpher,
Published by Farmsecure Holdings (PTY) LTD.

elated to natural disasters and environmental changes,
worsening access to water and increasing occupational
and health risks.
Frankly, despite progress made in international policies
since the first World Conference On Women in 1975,
it must be said that urgent action is still necessary
to implement gender and social equity in AKST
(Agricultural Knowledge Science & Technology)
policies and practices if the gender issues are to be
addressed as integral to the development processes.
GreenFacts says that actions that will address it will
include the strengthening of the capacity of public
institutions and NGOs to improve the knowledge of
women’s changing forms of involvement in farm and
other activities in AKST. What is required is not only giving
priority to women’s access to education, information,
science and technology, but also extending services to
enable the improvement of women’s access, ownership
and control of economic and natural resources. The
above needs ownership and control legal measures,
appropriate credit schemes, support for women’s
income generating activities and the re-enforcement of
women’s organisations and networks.
“This, in turn, depends on strengthening women’s ability
to benefit from market-based opportunities by institutions
and policies giving explicit priority to women farmer groups
in value chains.” – GreenFacts
Mrs. Helvi Sipila of
Finland,
Secretary-General
of the First World
Conference on Women
in Mexico City (1975)
attending the Fourth
World Conference on
13 September 1995 in
Beijing, China. Credit:
UN/DPI 131231/Yao
Da Wei
The report concludes that a number of other changes
will strengthen women’s contributions to agricultural
production and sustainability. Changes needs to be
made to public services support and investment in rural
areas in order to improve women’s living and working
conditions; giving priority to technological development
policies targeting rural and female farmer’s needs and
recognising their knowledge, skills and experience in the
production of food and the conservation of biodiversity;
and last but not least, assessing the negative effects and
risks of farming practices and technology, including
pesticides on women’s health as well as taking measures
to reduce use and exposure.
“Finally, if we are to better recognise women as integral
to sustainable development, it is critical to ensure gender
balance in AKST decision-making at all levels and provide
mechanisms to hold AKST organisations accountable for
progress in the above areas.” – GreenFacts
Chief Editor Chantal Yazbek, Elvera Strydom Sub-editor & Writer, Layout & Design Dieter Strumpher,
Published by Farmsecure Holdings (PTY) LTD.

Women within our
Company
With this edition of our newsletter dedicated to
women, we did not only want to give attention to women
in agriculture in general but decided that we need to
know more from the women within our company,
working daily in the business of agriculture. How do
they find working in this sector? Where do they think
the female’s future lies within agriculture? ... and a whole
lot more! Thus, we had two interviews with ladies from
the Farmsecure family and we would like to share their
comments on ‘women in agriculture’ with you.
Magriet Wille Farmsecure Capital se Area Bestuurder
in die Noord-Weste van die land - werk daagliks met
boere en ry tussen plase rond.
Magriet Wille, Farmsecure Capital’s Area Manager in
the North-West, works with farmers on a daily basis and
drives between their farms all the time.
Volgens haar is die werklikheid van die situasie in Suid-
Afrika dat landbou steeds gedomineer word deur
mans. Sy beklemtoon wel dat dit nie beteken dat
vrouens nie goed genoeg is om deel te wees daarvan
Sourced by Elvera Strydom
nie en dat daar net baie min van ons geslag is wat
wel deel is van die landboubedryf. Magriet wonder
of die rede vir die hierdie tekort nie moontlik draai om
die feit dat dit eenvoudig net nie iets is wat vrouens
graag wil doen nie. Sy sê dis nie juis ‘glamorous’ om in
profielgate rond te kruip of om oesskattings te gaan
doen en dan in die aande met ‘n stowwerige gesig by
die huis aan te kom nie. Sy noem ook dat “daar altyd
die enkeles is wat jou probeer oortuig dat jy kaalvoet en
swanger voor die stoof hoort of vir jou wys hoe mooi sy
mielies lyk, terwyl jy net so terloops hom kan reghelp en
beaam dat die sonneblom pragtig lyk”.
According to her, the reality of the situation in South
Africa is that the agricultural sector is still dominated by
men. She puts emphasis on the fact that this doesn’t
mean that women are not good enough to be part of
it and that there are frankly just very few females of our
generation that work in agriculture. Magriet wonders
if the possible reason for this shortage doesn’t have
something to do with the fact that it might just not
be something that women would like to do. She says
that it is not really very glamorous to crawl around soil
profile pits or to make estimations of crop yields and
end up at home in the evening with a dusty face. She
mentions also that “there are always the ones that try to
convince you that you belong in front of the stove, barefoot
and pregnant, or one that shows you their beautiful maize
while you can help him right (just by the way) in confirming
that the sunflowers are indeed beautiful”.
Sy gaan voort om te vertel dat daar ook baie kilometers
afgelê word wat nie juis vreeslik veilig vir ‘n vrou
in Suid-Afrika is nie, om nie eers al die slaggate in die
Chief Editor Chantal Yazbek, Elvera Strydom Sub-editor & Writer, Layout & Design Dieter Strumpher,
Published by Farmsecure Holdings (PTY) LTD.

pad te noem nie! In haar opinie is daar egter geen
beperkende faktore indien vrouens wel betrokke wil
wees op enige vlak in die landboubedryf nie en dat dit
wel ook help om op hoogte te bly met alles wat verband
hou met landbou. Die rede volgens Magriet? “Want
wat jy te sê het, word altyd met ‘n knippie sout ontvang,
juis omdat jy ‘n vrou in ‘n manswêreld is en as jy enigsins
huiwer om ‘n antwoord te gee, verloor jy baie vinniger jou
geloofwaardigheid”. Vir haar gaan dit oor elke individu
se kennis en bereidwilligheid om die beste te wees
wat mens kan wees. Sy voel baie sterk daaroor dat niks
‘n vrou stop om elke moontlike saadkultivar te ken
of om presisiekaarte te kan interpreteer en kunsmis
aanbevelings te verstaan en selfs doen nie.
She goes on telling us that you travel many kilometres
which is not always safe for a woman in South Africa
and while on the topic, mentions all the potholes you
come across! All that said however, she is of opinion that
there are no limiting factors if women really want to be
involved on any level within the agricultural sector and
that it always helps to stay on top with everything that
involves agriculture. The reason Magriet gives for this is
“because what you say are always taken with a pinch of salt
just because you are a woman in a men’s world and if you
ever stutter in giving an answer you lose credibility really
fast”. For her, it is all about each individual’s knowledge
and willingness to be the best that you can be. She
feels very strongly about the fact that there is nothing
standing in the way of a woman to know every single
cultivar of seed or to interpret precision-maps and give
advice regarding the fertiliser to be used.
Ten opsigte van die vraag of dit volgens haar belangrik
is om die vroulike geslag betrokke te maak in
die landboubedryf dink Magriet dat daar nie juis
verskriklike aksies moet wees ten opsigte daarvan nie.
Sy redeneer dat dié wat dit wil doen sal wel daarby
betrokke raak en sê ook dat dit nie vir haar soseer in die
bedryf gaan oor vrouens teenoor mans nie. Wat wel
vir haar belangrik is, is dat daar genoeg kennis moet
wees in terme van hoe om suksesvol te boer, of hoe
om boere te help om suksesvol te wees - of dit nou van
‘n man of vrou kom maak nie regtig saak nie. Feite bly,
die landbou omgewing is maar ‘n harde omgewing in
terme van besigheid met min simpatie vir die sagter
vroulike geslag.
With regards to the question if she feels that it is
important to make females more involved in the
agricultural industry, Magriet simply answers that she
doesn’t think one should go out of your way to do that.
She reasons that those who want to do it will become
involved in it and says that for her the issue in agriculture
is not all about women versus men. The one thing
that is important is that the person must have enough
knowledge about how to be a successful farmer, or rather
how to help farmers to be successful – in this respect it
doesn’t really matter if you are a man or a woman. The
fact of the matter is that the business-environment of
agriculture is a hard one, with very little sympathy for the
softer female gender.
Volgens Magriet begin die ‘skoner geslag’ al hoe meer
betrokke raak in die landbousektor. Sy voeg by dat
boerdery nie meer ‘n eenmansaak is nie en dat vrouens
verder al hoe meer betrokke raak by die finansiële sy
van boerdery. Haar opinie (met haar tong in die kies), is
dat ons geslag ‘n baie groot rol kan speel wat boerderyboekhouding
aanbetref aangesien mans nie baie goed
administratief aangelê is nie.
According to Magriet, females are in-fact getting more
involved in the agricultural sector and she adds that
farming isn’t a one-man-show anymore. Women are
getting involved all the more with the financial side of
farming and her opinion (with a tongue in the cheek), is
that the female gender can play a very big role in all that
has to do with farming-accounting as men don’t have a
great aptitude for admin.
... en wat van die vrou se toekoms in Suid Afrikaanse
landbou? In haar opinie sal dinge nie drasties verander
in die toekoms nie, maar voeg by dat vrouens wat
gemotiveerd is om ‘n beroep in die landbousektor te
hê, en hard daarvoor werk, wel suksesvol sal wees.
... and what about the future for women in South African
agriculture? Her opinion is that things won’t change
drastically in the future but adds that women who are
motivated, ambitious enough to follow a career in the
agricultural sector and work really hard at it, will be
successful.
“Dit is nogal lekker om te weet dat ek as vrou ‘n verskil
maak in ‘n manswêreld. Boere verwag dat hulle sake
professioneel hanteer moet word en ek probeer elke dag om
presies dit te doen. Ek weet dat dit baie verg van ons boere
om kop bo water te hou en ek is daarom bly dat ek deel kan
wees van die oplossings vir hulle probleme. Dit is vir my
lekker om hulle te kan help. Dit maak my bly om te sien dat
boere wat nou al lank my kliënte is beter daaraan toe is as
3 jaar gelede. Die kennis wat mens deur die jare opdoen,
kan niemand ooit van jou wegneem of ‘n waarde daaraan
koppel nie. Die respek en lojaliteit wat ek deur die jare van
my kliënte ontvang, maak al die ongenaakbaarheid van
vrouwees in ‘n manswêreld absoluut die moeite werd!”
– Magriet Wille
Chief Editor Chantal Yazbek, Elvera Strydom Sub-editor & Writer, Layout & Design Dieter Strumpher,
Published by Farmsecure Holdings (PTY) LTD.

Nog een van ons dames Nettie Greyling Farmsecure
Livestock se administreerder in Bethlehem, se eerste
gedagte wat opkom as sy dink aan “vrouens in die
landboubedryf” is dat dit iets was wat mens nie
gereeld gehoor het nie, maar volgens haar bring dit
ter selfde tyd ‘n gedagte van “something different” -
tog ‘n ‘exciting’ gevoel. Nettie verduidelik dat dit haar
opgewonde maak omdat daar oor die algemeen en in
die verlede, grotendeels net mans was wat deel was van
die bedryf, maar sy glo dat in vandag se tyd asook in die
toekoms dit meer algemeen raak vir vrouens om deel te
wees daarvan. Dit is dus vir haar ‘n ‘exciting’ gevoel juis
omdat dit iets anders is en nie die algemene beroep vir
ons vroulike geslag is nie.
Another one of our ladies, Farmsecure Livestock’s
administrator in Bethlehem, Nettie Greyling’s first
thought that comes up when thinking about “women
in agriculture” is simply that it is something you don’t
hear often and at the same time it makes her think this
is “something different” – a feeling of excitement. Nettie
explains that it makes her excited to hear the words
because in general and in the past, the agricultural
industry was mostly associated with men, but she
believes that it will become more general for women
to be part of it in current times as well as the in the
future. Thus, her excitement stems from the fact that it
is ‘different’ and not a general occupation for the female
gender.
Nettie kom uit ‘n familie van boere, haar grootouers
was hulle hele lewe lank boere, en na ‘n vraag om te
hoor hoe dit haar siening van die ‘vrou in landbou’ geaffekteer
het, vertel sy dat omdat mens grootword in
hierdie omgewing, ‘n mens respek en liefde ontwikkel
vir ‘n bedryf wat so ‘n groot rol in ons almal se lewens
speel. Sy sê verder dat dit mens leer om die bedryf te
verstaan en sy glo hoe beter mens iets verstaan hoe
beter sal jou gesindheid teenoor dit wees. Op die ouend
“het mens ‘n voorsprong en meer kennis wanneer jy
daarin grootword – iets wat jou net positief beïnvloed”.
Nettie was born into a family of farmers - with her
grandparents being lifelong farmers - and in answer
to our question on how this influenced her view of the
‘woman in agriculture’ she told us that you develop a
lot of love and respect for the industry that plays such
a big role in all our lives because you grow up in this
environment. She goes on to say that you learn to
understand the industry and she believes that the better
you understand something, the better your attitude will
be towards it. In the end “one has an advantage and more
knowledge when you grow up in it – something that will
only have a positive influence on you”.
Volgens haar staan vrouens tans in die middel wanneer
dit kom by die landboubedryf in Suid-Afrika. “Make
the circle bigger!” sê sy grappig en voeg daarna by dat
ons as vroue eintlik in ‘n bevoorregte en sterk posisie
staan, dat dit iets is wat die afgelope paar jaar geweldig
gegroei het en verder ook dat die geleenthede om deel
te wees van die bedryf net groter en beter raak.
Women are standing right in the middle according to
her when it comes down to the agricultural industry
in South Africa. She jokes by saying “Make the circle
bigger!” and adds thereafter that women are actually
finding themselves in a strong and privileged position,
that it is something that our position has grown
dramatically during the past couple of years, and that
the opportunities to become / be part of the industry
are just getting more and better.
Soos ons almal weet was die rolle van die verskillende
geslagte in Suid-Afrika se die verlede gekenmerk deur
die pa wat werk (boer) en die ma wat bak & brou
en kinders oppas. In teenstelling daarmee is haar
opinie dat vroue vandag ‘n ander perspektief na die
landboubedryf bring, ‘n sagter kant – ‘the female touch’
- en daarom is dit verseker belangrik dat vroue betrokke
is / word daarby.
We all know that in the past, South African gender
roles were mostly stipulated by the father working
(farming) and the mother being ‘chained’ to the kitchen
and looking after the children. Nettie, in comparison
with this, is of the opinion that women brings a new
perspective to the agricultural industry, a softer side –
‘the female touch’ – and because of this it is important
for women to be / become involved in it.
Dit als gesê is dit noodsaaklik dat daar ‘n balans is. Ja,
Nettie erken dat sekere van die beroepe in die bedryf
altyd meer gedomineer sal word deur die manlike geslag,
maar noem ook dat navorsing moontlik ‘n gebied is
waar ons generasie van vroue maklik sal aanpas en
waar ons ‘n aanwins kan wees.
Chief Editor Chantal Yazbek, Elvera Strydom Sub-editor & Writer, Layout & Design Dieter Strumpher,
Published by Farmsecure Holdings (PTY) LTD.

All of that said, it is still necessary to have a balance. Yes,
Nettie acknowledges that there are some occupations in
the industry that will be dominated more by males while
she mentions at the same time that agricultural research
might be an area where our generation of women will
not only adapt to easily but where we can be a real asset.
So, wat is Nettie se siening van die vrou se toekoms
in Suid Afrika se landbou industrie? Weereens is sy
opgewonde oor die toekoms van ons geslag omdat
die toekoms volgens haar net meer sukses verhale
kan oplewer met al die geleenthede wat daar vir ons
is. Dit is immers ‘n bedryf met ‘n wye veld van werk en
daarom sê sy dat dit nie anders kan dat ons geslag se
betrokkenheid in landbou van krag tot krag kan groei
nie.
The question now stands on what is Nettie’s view of
females’ future in the agricultural industry of South
Africa? Yet again, she is excited about the future of our
gender because she sees the future delivering all the
more stories of success with all the possibilities out there
for women. She reminds us that we must remember that
the industry has a very wide span of work available, and
for this very reason there is no excuse for the expansion
and growth of women’s involvement in agriculture.
“My werk is n groot vreugde, ek sal myself nie in n ander
bedryf kan sien nie. Met baie respek en liefde vir dit wat ek
doen sien ek dit as ‘n voorreg en eer om deel te kan wees
van “Women in Agriculture”!” – Nettie Greyling
We also asked a couple of the other Farmsecure
ladies to give us their opinion on women working in
the agricultural industry, and here is what they had
to say:
Tersia Marcos (Marketing & Sales Director, Farmsecure
Holdings), notes that “Working in agriculture and going
to farms sometimes takes you to strange places – and what
one wouldn’t do to make a sale ...!!” – how great it must be
to do business while on the back of an elephant
“Women in agriculture are neither an optimist, nor a
pessimist, but always a possibilist!!”
“In farming and agriculture, you certainly learn discipline
and a commitment to purpose.” - Lita Odendaal
(Insurance Manager, Farmsecure Capital)
“Men who treat women as helpless and charming
playthings deserve women who treat men as delightful
and generous bank accounts.” - Yolandi Peach (Trading
Operations Manager, Farmsecure Capital)
For more information, please visit:
h t t p : / / a c e s . n m s u . e d u / p u b s / r e s o u r c e s m a g /
spring98/3000Years.html
http://www.greenfacts.org/en/agriculture-iaastd/l-2/9women-agriculture.htm
http://www.womeninagriculture.com/
http://www.fao.org/docrep/v9101e/v9101e05.
htm#P97_10851
http://allafrica.com/stories/200910310001.html
Chief Editor Chantal Yazbek, Elvera Strydom Sub-editor & Writer, Layout & Design Dieter Strumpher,
Published by Farmsecure Holdings (PTY) LTD.

WHO’S WHO
CHARLENE BOTMA
My name is Charlene Bothma and I was privileged to join
the Farmsecure team two and a half years ago as the fi rst
employee in the Finance department (now a full 30). I
thought at the time there were a few challenges on hand
but could never anticipate the way the group would
explode. It was great though, never a dull moment and
enough new things to ensure we never got bored. It is
great working with well experienced directors and other
colleagues from whom I never cease to learn. Although
born and bred in the city, I love agricultural and hope to
have my own farm one day!
I have two real little cowboys, Walden (6) and Daniel (4)
and enjoy doing fun things with them, their favorites of
course playing rugby, cricket and soccer with their mom
or to wrestle. Naturally, I had to introduce a few rules to
ensure I remain injury-free and fi t for work.
Personally, I enjoy any form of adventure and being
active, capturing the beauty of life on camera and seeing
and doing new things (currently doing my pilot’s license).
There is nothing like laughing with 2 little boys over silly
things or trying to keep a plane in the air to get your mind
of work!
My motto in life is to make a diff erence and live with
passion.
Chief Editor Chantal Yazbek, Elvera Strydom Sub-editor & Writer, Layout & Design Dieter Strumpher,
Editor Chantal Yazbek, Layout & Design Dieter Strumpher, Published by Farmsecure Holdings (PTY) LTD)
Published by Farmsecure Holdings (PTY) LTD.

WHO’S WHO
HEILETTA MAASS
Vrouedag word die 9de Augustus gevier,
en dit is vir my as vrou ’n baie groot plesier.
‘n Af dag (of 2 )is goed vir die gees,
want hier by Farmsecure is dit net graan en bees
Ek’s ’n Vrystaat girl in murg en been;
en met die Here aan my kant ontvang ek emmersvol seën
My ouers bly op ’n plaas in die Steynsrus distrik,
en my broer en suster sal jou beïndruk
Om te kamp en die wêreld te verken is vir my en my man
great,
Lewe voluit is ons beleid
Heiletta word ek genoem;
geen kombinasie, net trots na my ouma en ma vernoem
Chief Editor Chantal Yazbek, Elvera Strydom Sub-editor & Writer, Layout & Design Dieter Strumpher,
Editor Chantal Yazbek, Layout & Design Dieter Strumpher, Published by Farmsecure Holdings (PTY) LTD)
Published by Farmsecure Holdings (PTY) LTD.

WHO’S WHO
NADA NEL
Ek is Nada Nel, werksaam by Bethlehem Hoofkantoor
vanaf Februarie 2007. Dit voel vir my na ‘n ewigheid
vanwaar ons net 12 personeellede in daardie koue
kantoor “ge-suff er” het en baie foute gemaak het.
Amper 4 jaar later is ek glad nie spyt ek het deel geword
van Farmsecure span nie. Elke dag is ‘n uitdaging met
genoeg opwinding! DIS LEKKER!
Ek hanteer alle graan en vrugte betalings, maar het
ongelukkig nog steeds nie die geld onder my tafel nie, vir
die van julle wat altyd dringend opsoek is daarna!
Ek is gebore in die Noord Kaap het op ‘n plaas groot
geword, naby Vryburg – so ek het redelik begrip vir
die lief en leed van boer wees. Ek het in Bloemfontein
studeer, daarna getrou vir liefde en na Bethlehem verhuis,
waar ons nou al 17 jaar bly. Ek het vir 6 jaar by ‘n afslaers
maatskappy gewerk, daarna by Pioneer Foods vir 8 jaar en
ja, toe kom Farmsecure oor my pad.
Ek is getroud met Sakkie en het 2 besige kinders, Elsmari
12, en Ian 11 jaar. Ons as ‘n gesin hou daarvan om tyd in
die buitelug te spandeer: fi etsry, visvang en kamp. Almal
van ons het nie fi etsry ‘n beroep gemaak om dit in die
winter in Bethlehem te probeer nie, net my man durf die
koue elke Saterdag oggend aan.
FARMSECURE JULLE IS DIE BESTE – DOEN SO VOORT!
Chief Editor Chantal Yazbek, Elvera Strydom Sub-editor & Writer, Layout & Design Dieter Strumpher,
Editor Chantal Yazbek, Layout & Design Dieter Strumpher, Published by Farmsecure Holdings (PTY) LTD)
Published by Farmsecure Holdings (PTY) LTD.

QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love
and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.”
- Ella Fitzgerald
“If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at
what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough.”
- Oprah Winfrey
“Woman must not accept; she must challenge. She must not be awed by that
which has been built up around her; she must reverence that woman in her
which struggles for expression.”
- Margaret Sanger
BIRTHDAYS 31 July – 13 August
Farmsecure congratulates the following staff members on their
birthday, may this be a memorable year.
Suenette Fouché 31 July
Jannie Peyper 01 August
Karen Reid 03 August
Nico Ras 10 August
Cornelia Frazer 10 August
Marè Herbst 12 August
Jaco Botha 13 August
“MONDAY TEASE”
Herewith, please fi nd the answers to the past week’s ‘Monday Tease’:
Monday 26 July
Information Chief published Editor in Chantal this editorial Yazbek, is private Elvera and Strydom intended Sub-editor for internal & Writer, use. Layout Please & note Design that distribution Dieter Strumpher, of this material
without prior permission Published from the by Media Farmsecure & Communications Holdings (PTY) Manager LTD. is strictly prohibited.

Baie Geluk!!!
Vanaf almal hier by Farmsecure wil ons graag vir Riaan en Karlien de Villiers en hul hele gesin baie geluk sê met die geboorte
van hul baba dogtertjie. Al die personeel in Noord-Wes stuur ‘n spesiale boodskap in dat hulle hoop sy bring vir julle net
tonne vreugde, baie geluk en liefde.
Farmsecure Women at Work
Carien Klopper
I am Carien Klopper and a Quality Control Administrator
(finalising and formulating of all Quality Control reports).
Tania Kleynhans
My name is Tania Kleynhans and I work for FAS’ Precision
Farming Administration (all the paperwork / following up /
correspondence involved from where soil / leaf samples are
taken on a client’s farm, sent to the lab for analysis, results
are received and processed, the report &recommendations
is given back to the client/farmer and assisting in the
Quality Control department with quality control reports of
inspections done).
Chief Editor Chantal Yazbek, Elvera Strydom Sub-editor & Writer, Layout & Design Dieter Strumpher,
Published by Farmsecure Holdings (PTY) LTD.

Thelana van der Merwe
The girl in the photo is Thelana van der Merwe, yes, it’s
me. I am a Senior Admin Officer (aka Senior Administrator)
for FAS.
Lomé de Vries
Ek is Lomé de Vries en werk as ‘n Persoonlike Assistent in
die Kaapstad kantoor (FAS)
Brenda van Zyl,
Hi I am Brenda van Zyl, an administrator for Farmsecure
at the Centurion office. My main task is to assist with
travel arrangements. Through these arrangements my
part in the agriculture industry is to assist an employee or
manager to arrive at a place where they give support to a
farmer or to discuss management strategies. By assisting
with office administration and travel arrangements our
employees and managers have more time at hand to
manage and implement our vision for Farmsecure to be a
meaningful contributor to the worlds food supply.
Chief Editor Chantal Yazbek, Elvera Strydom Sub-editor & Writer, Layout & Design Dieter Strumpher,
Published by Farmsecure Holdings (PTY) LTD.

Hier is ‘n foto van die dames van Farmsecure Capital se
Versekeringsafdeling wat CUP-A-CANSA bygewoon
het by Mutual & Federal se kantoor op Bethlehem. Van
links na regs: Loise Botha (FSC Versekerings Klerk),
Lita Odendaal (FSC Versekerings Bestuurder), Leonie
Liebenberg (Mev. Suid-Afrika Finalis) en Hanlie
Kroese (M&F Bestuurder).
Anneliza Erwee
My name’s Anneliza Erwee. I’m in charge of payments
in Farmsecure Capital - Mpumalanga regional office. I
receive and process invoices for payment.
Ronel Pretorius and Sheryl Pieters are the accountants
at the Cape Town office ... and very hard at work as you
can see.
Chief Editor Chantal Yazbek, Elvera Strydom Sub-editor & Writer, Layout & Design Dieter Strumpher,
Published by Farmsecure Holdings (PTY) LTD.

Die dames van die Agronomiese Kontrakte en Verskaffers
span in Bethlehem sluit in Sophia Tolken (agronomiese
kontrakte), Elize Bekker (verskaffers), Corne van
den Berg (agronomiese kontrakte), Rienie de Jager
(agronomiese kontrakte en verskaffers).
Tersia Marcos
Tersia Marcos’ inspiration for this Woman’s Day comes
from Madiba:
“Education is the great engine to personal development. It
is through education that the daughter of a peasant can
become a doctor, that the son of a mine worker can become
the head of the mine, that the child of a farm worker can
become the president of a great nation. It is what we make
of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one
person from another.” - Nelson Mandela
Chief Editor Chantal Yazbek, Elvera Strydom Sub-editor & Writer, Layout & Design Dieter Strumpher,
Published by Farmsecure Holdings (PTY) LTD.

Margaret Africa
Hi, Margaret Africa here. I am the coordinator tasked to
develop a strategic framework for the establishment of
the Development, Education and Training Centre (DETC)
for Farmsecure.
Farmsecure Cape Town’s dearest cleaning ladies are
Cynthia Dumisana (FML & FAS) and Henrietta
Bamonika (FSH).
Elize Kirstein
Ek is Elize Kirstein en die Area Bestuurder vir Bultfontein
Wes Vrystaat waar ek verantwoordelik is vir die bemarking
van ons Graan Produk asook kliënte diens. Op die foto
was ek by een van my boere Gerrie Oosthuizen, en ons
was besig om mielies te stroop op een van sy lande.
Chief Editor Chantal Yazbek, Elvera Strydom Sub-editor & Writer, Layout & Design Dieter Strumpher,
Published by Farmsecure Holdings (PTY) LTD.

Die pragtige dames van FML in die Kaapstad kantoor
sluit in (v.l.n.r.): Joyce Kotze (versekerings-admin),
Molleen Marais (ontvangsdame), Karyn Hendricks
(dokumentasie klerk), Karen Reid (logistieke en
kontrakte admin), Luzaan du Preez (sekuriteite en
streek-admin), Marlise Delport (streek-admin) en
Suzanne Fourie (logistieke en kontrakte admin).
You are welcome to e-mail staff related stories and information to elvera@farmsecure.co.za
Stuur asseblief alle personeel verwante stories en informasie na elvera@farmsecure.co.za
Chief Editor Chantal Yazbek, Elvera Strydom Sub-editor & Writer, Layout & Design Dieter Strumpher,
Published by Farmsecure Holdings (PTY) LTD.

Events
National Women’s Day, 9 August
South Africa’s National Women’s Day on the 9th of August is not only a public holiday for everybody to enjoy and relax,
but is a day dedicated to remembering the women who made a diff erence in the history of building our nation to where it
today, and give thanks to all the ladies who are currently playing a part in promoting women’s rights (no matter who you
are or where you come from ... yes girls, that includes you and me).
This day commemorates the national march of women on the 9th of August in 1956 to petition against legislation that
required African persons to carry the “pass”, special identifi cation documents which curtailed an African’s freedom of
movement during the apartheid era.
If you didn’t know, on this day 20,000 women staged a march on the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against the
proposed amendments to the Urban Areas Act (commonly known as the pass laws) of 1950. They left bundles of petitions
containing more than 100,000 signatures at Prime Minister J.G. Strijdom’s offi ce door.
Outside, they stood silently for 30 minutes, many with their children on their backs. The women sang a protest song
that was composed in honour of the occasion: “Wathint’Abafazi Wathint’imbokodo!” which translates into “Now you have
touched the women, you have struck a rock”. In the 54 years since, the phrase (or its latest incarnation: “you strike a woman,
you strike a rock”) has come to represent women’s courage and strength in South Africa.
The march was led by Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa and Sophia Williams-De Bruyn, and another participant
included Frances Baard, a statue of whom was unveiled by Northern Cape Premier Hazel Jenkins in Kimberley (Frances
Baard District Municipality) on National Women’s Day 2009.
Since 9 August 1994, the day became South Africa’s annual National Women’s Day.
We would like to encourage all Farmsecure’s female staff to send us feedback on what you did on this special day
dedicated to the women of South Africa.
For more information, please visit:
http://www.info.gov.za/aboutsa/holidays.htm#09august
http://www.sahistory.org.za/pages/governence-projects/womens-struggle/struggle6.htm
Sourced by Elvera Strydom
Chief Editor Chantal Yazbek, Elvera Strydom Sub-editor & Writer, Layout & Design Dieter Strumpher,
Published by Farmsecure Holdings (PTY) LTD.

Agriculture in the Media
A More Feminine Food System: Farmer
Jane (a Book Review)
Leslie Hatfield
Senior Editor of GRACE
Posted: 23rd of July 2010
Let’s try something: Picture for a moment a farmer. Ok. Got your farmer in your head? What does he look like?
Most of us probably picture a typical farmer as an aging white man in overalls, when in reality, there are many people
of colour who tend land, though not without even more difficulties than the white male farmers who’re struggling to
stay afloat (the Latinos we call “farm workers”have a rich agricultural tradition, as do black farmers, many of whom have
lost their land as well, in part because of discriminatory practices in USDA lending). And of course, women of all races,
in the US and abroad, are farmers, too. In fact, women grow the vast majority of the food supply in the Global South.
Stateside, they make up the largest group of new farmers.
Yet, even within the “sustainable agriculture” movement, or the “good food” movement, whatever you want to call it,
there is a lack of attention paid to these female agrarians. Of the talking heads that filled the screens of Food, Inc and
Fresh, fantastic movies both, most were male. Both featured the well-spoken Joel Salatin, perhaps the most famous
livestock farmer of our time, who, rumour has it, refuses to take on female interns at his farm. To be honest, as a writer
who considers herself a feminist, I’ve probably been guilty of writing more about men than women, too, and have
probably hopped on the usual suspect bandwagon a few too many times .
The views and opinions published from personal materials and interviews in this editorial do not
necessarily represent the official views of the Farmsecure Group.

Agriculture in the Media
Enter Temra Costa’s new book, Farmer Jane. A compilation of profiles of farmers and food activists, the book groups
the women it profiles by what they do into six chapters (Building new Farm-to-Eater Relationships, Advocates for
Social Change, Promoting Local and Seasonal Food, Networks for Sustainable Food, Urban Farm Women and
The Next Generation of Sustainable Farmers), each with a “recipe for action”, and ends with a handy appendix full
of resources and essays on topics like genetic engineering the upcoming Farm Bill.
With all due respect to the “farm moms” featured in Monsanto’s Mom of the Year contest, Farmer Jane paints a more
dynamic picture of women farmers, many of whom don’t adhere to the “typical” farm stereotype, who instead focus on
their creative approaches to food production and marketing, as well as the politics that influence their work (otherwise
known as our meals). Many of them are indeed mothers and wives. A few of the dynamic women farmers profiled in
Farmer Jane include Nancy Vail, Erika Allen, Deborah Koons Garcia and Jessica Prentice.
All of that said, Farmer Jane is the first book I’ve heard of on the subject, and for that, I’m grateful and excited and hopeful
for the conversations it may inspire. For would-be ladies of the land, Costa may seem to have underplayed her hand
here, but by and large Farmer Jane is a good seed!
For more information, go to:
http://www.farmerjane.org/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leslie-hatfield/a-more-feminine-food-syst_b_657535.html
Sourced by Elvera Strydom
Volg daaglikse Landbouweekblad nuus, op ons webtuiste.
The views and opinions published from personal materials and interviews in this editorial do not
necessarily represent the official views of the Farmsecure Group.