First Female Agro-Retailer Certified by the Agro-Input Retailers’ Network
Following the death of her husband 27 years ago, Parvin Aziz was uncertain of her family’s future. In Bangladesh, widows face social and economic hardships and often remain dependent on male family members or children for their livelihoods. Every day, Aziz dreamed of a better life in which she could provide for her two children. She understood she would have to be strong, smart, and productive for their benefit. “I didn’t know what to do until my in-laws encouraged me to take over my husband’s seed business. I was lucky I had the support of my in-laws when I continued the family’s agroinput business.”
The Agroinput Retailers’ Network (AIRN) facilitated by the USAID Agro-Inputs Project (AIP) learned about Aziz’s entrepreneurial spirit and offered her the opportunity to attend trainings to build her capacity as an agroinput retailer. “When I discovered the AIRN I recognized it as an opportunity to improve my business and to learn more about quality agroinputs,” Aziz said. “Now, I encourage female entrepreneurs to become involved in the agroinputs business because it helped me raise my family. I know how important it is for mothers to earn money for their families,” she said. Aziz completed a three-day training on business management, safe use of pesticides, and best agronomic practices, which resulted in her certification as the first female AIRN-accredited member.
The increasing participation of women in the commercial sale of agroinputs means more women are able to contribute to their family’s income. It improves women’s decision-making power over the allocation of household income and is beneficial to the whole family. Since becoming a certified AIRN retailer, Aziz has indicated that positive outcomes of running her business include increased self-confidence, improved business management skills, and knowledge of nutritious crops, as well as an increased ability to provide quality embedded services to farmer customers. The AIRN is continuing to focus its effort on recruiting female agroinput retailers like Aziz to promote the importance of female entrepreneurs so that more women can support their families and participate in the agricultural economy. By the end of the project, AIP will help create at least 300 women-owned retailers which will join the AIRN.
The AIRN is a network of agroinput retailers committed to selling quality agroinput products. It was created by USAID under the Agro-Inputs Project and implemented by Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA). AIRN members undergo trainings that improve their knowledge about quality agroinputs, which expand their business potential and increase their profits. With quality agroinputs, there is quality production to feed families and improve the agricultural economy in Bangladesh.
