Women in Food and Agriculture

What Women in Food and Agriculture does

Women in Food and Agriculture (WFA) is a community, events, and content platform founded in 2019 as an initiative by Expana (a commodity intelligence company). The organization focuses on advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the global food and agriculture sector, targeting women professionals, industry mentors, and corporate partners seeking DEI resources. Its core offerings include the WFA Mentorship Program (developed in partnership with Alltech and matching over 1,500 mentors and mentees since 2021), the WFA: Europe and WFA: Americas Summits, the annual WFA Awards program, a Content Hub of articles and interviews, and an industry-wide survey conducted with Alltech that has engaged over 3,200 participants from 80+ countries.

The underlying technology infrastructure is intentionally lightweight: WFA operates standard web-based platforms for content delivery (Content Hub), newsletter distribution, and mentorship application processing, with no proprietary software, APIs, or AI/ML capabilities. The platform is supported by an Advisory Board of senior leaders from Fonterra, Alltech, ALDI, Associated British Foods, Spar, Nestlé, Walmart, Sodexo, and ADM, alongside ambassadors from Microsoft, the World Bank, Tetra Laval, Cargill, and others — giving WFA access to deep enterprise networks across the agrifood value chain.

WFA's business model is sponsorship- and partnership-driven rather than transactional. Revenue is generated through corporate sponsorships, event partnerships, and the operational backing of parent company Expana, with pricing not publicly disclosed. The organization operates with a small team of 9 employees and is classified as a brand/initiative under Expana rather than a standalone legal entity. Its go-to-market is event-driven, anchored on in-person summits in Amsterdam and Chicago, complemented by digital channels (Content Hub, newsletter, social media on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Spotify podcast).

Name

Women in Food and Agriculture

Legal name

Women in Food and Agriculture (WFA)

Website

https://wfa-initiative.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Women in Food and Agriculture (WFA) is a London-based initiative by Expana that operates summits, an Alltech-partnered mentorship program, an annual Awards ceremony, a Content Hub, and an industry survey to advance diversity and inclusion in the global food and agriculture sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Sponsorships and Partnerships: WFA generates revenue through corporate sponsorships and partnerships with leading food and agriculture companies. The organization partners with world-leading businesses to provide them with tools and support for creating change in diversity and inclusion.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WFA is a diversity and inclusion initiative for the global food and agriculture sector. It operates regional summits (WFA: Europe, WFA: Americas), an annual WFA Awards program, the WFA Mentorship Program developed in partnership with Alltech, an industry-wide annual survey, and an online Content Hub of articles and resources. Its core commercial activity is delivering events, sponsorship programs, and content products for companies and professionals seeking to advance gender diversity in agrifood.

Product overview

Women in Food and Agriculture (WFA) is an initiative by Expana (founded in 2019) that operates as a community and events platform rather than a traditional tech product. The organization offers a portfolio of programs including the WFA Mentorship Program (in partnership with Alltech), annual WFA Summits (Europe and Americas), the WFA Awards program, a Content Hub with articles and resources, and an industry-wide Survey. These offerings work together to advance diversity and inclusion in the food and agriculture sector through networking, mentorship, recognition, and research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WFA Mentorship Program: A mentorship initiative developed in partnership with Alltech that connects women from across the agri-food industry with mentors to offer career support and guidance.
• WFA Awards
• WFA: Summit
• WFA Digital Festival

Products and services

• WFA Mentorship Program A mentorship initiative developed in partnership with Alltech that connects women across the global food and agriculture sector with experienced mentors for career support, guidance, and professional development. Applications are accepted annually for cohort participation, and over 1,500 mentors and mentees have been matched since launch.
• WFA Summits (WFA: Europe and WFA: Americas) Annual industry conferences bringing together women leaders in agrifood for networking, keynotes, panel discussions, and skills workshops. WFA: Europe is held in Amsterdam; WFA: Americas is held in Chicago. Events feature senior leaders from organizations including Microsoft, Tyson, Sodexo, Mars, and the World Bank.
• WFA Awards Annual awards program recognizing outstanding individuals and initiatives in food and agriculture across categories including Mentee of the Year, Mentor of the Year, Male Ally of the Year, Leader of the Year, and Initiative of the Year. Winners are selected by the WFA Advisory Board and announced at the WFA Summit in Amsterdam.
• WFA Content Hub Online resource center providing articles, interviews, and news related to women in food and agriculture, covering topics such as ESG, leadership, AI in agriculture, mentorship, and industry trends.
• WFA Annual Survey Industry-wide survey gathering insights into the professional landscape for women in food and agriculture, tracking gender diversity, work-life balance, DEI policies, and workplace equality. Conducted in partnership with Alltech; the 2020 survey brought together over 3,200 participants from over 80 countries.
• WFA Digital Festival Digital event platform for engagement and participation in WFA activities online.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,500 mentors and mentees matched since 2021
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and moderate.

• AlltechcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Alltech, a global leader in animal nutrition and sustainable agrifood solutions, is the key partner for the WFA Mentorship Program. The partnership began in 2021 and Alltech provides ongoing sponsorship and support for the mentorship initiative that has matched over 1,500 mentors and mentees. Alltech's support has been instrumental in the program's success and expansion.
• ExpanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWFA is an initiative by Expana (formerly known through its various platforms including Mintec, Urner Barry, Feedinfo, and Stratégie Grains). Expana is a leading commodity intelligence company that provides the organizational backbone and industry network for WFA. The initiative was founded by Expana in 2019.
• Expana MarketscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerExpana Markets serves as the parent company and events platform for WFA, hosting the WFA Summits and Awards through its events division at expanamarkets.com. The events are organized and promoted through Expana's event platform.
• Advisory Board CompaniesmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe WFA Advisory Board includes senior leaders from major food and agriculture companies including Fonterra (Kimberly Fisk), Alltech (Orla McAleer), ALDI (Belinda May Ball), Associated British Foods (Gerry Tominey), The Spar Group (Megan Pydigadu), Nestlé (Patricia Stroup), Walmart (Seth Malley), Sodexo (Sunil Nayak), and ADM (Camille Batiste).
• Ambassador OrganizationsmoderateGTM or Marketing PartnerWFA Ambassadors represent various organizations including Agribusiness Council of Indiana (Amy Cornell), Microsoft (Claudia Rössler, Mary Snapp), MDS (Christine Tacon), MANRRS (Ebony Webber), World Bank (Geeta Sethi), International Rural Youth Project (Jane Craigie), Tetra Laval (Lynda McDonald), Agrosmart (Mariana Vasconcelos), Education Ag Tech (Natalie McCaffery), and Cargill (Smriti Canakapalli).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Lean In: Lean In is a large-scale women's empowerment organization offering circles, research, and corporate programs. It is a comparable mission-driven organization but operates across all sectors and lacks WFA's deep agrifood vertical focus.
• Catalyst: Catalyst is a global nonprofit accelerating women in the workplace through research, advisory, and events. It shares WFA's D&I-as-a-service model but addresses all industries rather than specializing in food and agriculture.

Direct peers

• MANRRS: MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences) promotes diversity and inclusion in agrifood through student mentoring, networking, and career development. WFA already has a MANRRS ambassador, signaling close overlap in target audience and mission.
• African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD): AWARD is a career-development program that invests in African women agricultural scientists, offering mentorship, fellowships, and leadership training. It is a direct peer in mission (mentorship + women in agriculture) though with a stronger capacity-building orientation.
• Women in Agribusiness: Women in Agribusiness (run by HighQuest Partners) is a community and events platform focused on professional women across the agricultural value chain. It directly mirrors WFA's model of summits, networking, and industry awards serving women in food and agriculture.

Emerging players

• Female Farmer Project: The Female Farmer Project is a storytelling and advocacy platform highlighting women in agriculture. It shares WFA's mission of elevating women in food and agriculture but focuses on communications and storytelling rather than convening and mentorship.
• American Farmland Trust - Women for the Land: American Farmland Trust's Women for the Land initiative supports women farmland owners and producers through learning circles, networking, and conservation programming. It is a partial peer that overlaps on women's empowerment in agriculture but is more conservation-focused.

Regional players

• GrowHer (by CropLife Asia): GrowHer is a platform advancing women in agriculture across Asia, offering networking, mentorship, and resources. It is a regional peer with comparable offerings but limited geographic overlap with WFA's Europe/Americas focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wearewfa
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCt4NHeIABzwsRZjNtiXjMlA
• Facebookfacebook.com/WeareWFA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/women-in-food-and-agriculture

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Women in Food and Agriculture