Fatima Ouedraogo

Malian entrepreneur who revolutionized women's economic empowerment through sustainable agriculture

Fatima Ouedraogo (born 1985) is a Malian social entrepreneur whose innovative approach to sustainable agriculture has transformed rural economies across West Africa. Founding Sahel Harvest in 2020, she developed a mobile app connecting female farmers directly with urban consumers, bypassing exploitative middlemen. This platform increased farmers' profits by 300% while reducing food waste by 40%. Her Green Agri Commons initiative has trained over 15,000 women in agroecology techniques, creating cooperatives that now supply 70% of Bamako's organic produce market. Fatima's work was recognized by the UN's HeForShe campaign in 2022 and the African Union's Innovation Award in 2023. Her TED Talk 'Seeds of Empowerment' has garnered 2.3 million views, inspiring similar models in Burkina Faso and Niger.

Key innovations include drought-resistant crop varieties developed through partnerships with University of Bamako researchers, and solar-powered cold storage units built using locally sourced materials. Her Climate Resilience Fund now provides microloans to women-led farming collectives across the Sahel region. Recent projects include a blockchain-based supply chain system to ensure fair trade practices, featured in MIT Technology Review's 2024 Africa Tech Report.