- 08/04/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Patricia Zoundi Yao is a social entrepreneur, impact leader, and dedicated advocate for rural Africa. She is committed to fostering sustainable agriculture, a more inclusive economy, and the promotion of local value chains.
At the crossroads of agriculture, technology, and social development
Patricia Zoundi Yao is not just any entrepreneur. She embodies a new generation of changemakers in Africa, bridging the worlds of agribusiness, inclusive technology, and the empowerment of rural women. She is the founder of Canaan Land, an Ivorian social enterprise established in 2019, which she led for several years before handing over leadership to a new management team. She continues to champion its vision and values through her national and international commitments. Today, Canaan Land supports over 400 farmers—86% of whom are women—toward sustainable, traceable, and profitable agriculture.
Beyond rhetoric, Patricia takes action on the ground: facilitating access to high-quality inputs, training in best agricultural practices (including organic and climate-smart farming), integrating farmers into local and international value chains, and supporting certification (notably Yum Gap). Her clear vision is to develop Africa from its villages.
An entrepreneurial response to inequality
In 2010, Patricia founded QuickCash, an inclusive fintech solution designed for rural areas. She later stepped away from the leadership of this company, as well as Digital Hub, to dedicate herself fully to her mission in the agricultural sector. This entrepreneurial experience marked the beginning of a broader commitment to providing tangible solutions for populations often excluded from economic hubs.
Through her initiatives, she aims to give visibility to the invisible, integrate informal economies into the formal sector, and accelerate the economic empowerment of women, who are the backbone of Africa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Canaan Land: a catalyst for agricultural transformation
At Canaan Land, agriculture is more than just an economic activity—it is a lever for public health, social justice, and environmental conservation. The company is committed to producing and distributing healthy fruits and vegetables grown in compliance with hygiene standards, biodiversity protection, and environmental sustainability. Traceability is central to the model, ensuring that end consumers have full knowledge of the origin, agricultural practices, and working conditions associated with each product.
Canaan Land has positioned itself as a key player in agricultural modernization in Côte d’Ivoire. The company provides smallholder farmers with integrated support, including technical capacity building, access to quality inputs, the introduction of sustainable practices adapted to climate change, and assistance in complying with formal market standards. This holistic support model enables vulnerable farmers to integrate into structured economic circuits, securing their income, improving productivity, and strengthening resilience.
Canaan Land’s approach aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly:
- SDG 1: No Poverty – by increasing rural farmers’ income;
- SDG 2: Zero Hunger – through food security and sustainable agriculture;
- SDG 5: Gender Equality – by supporting a majority of women farmers;
- SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – by structuring rural economic opportunities;
- SDG 13: Climate Action – by integrating resilient and eco-friendly agricultural practices.
This model is now inspiring other initiatives across the continent.
A Pan-African voice and advocate for change
A recipient of the National Order of Merit and the Ivorian Excellence Award, Patricia is also an eTrade for Women Advocate for UNCTAD. She serves on several boards, including those in banking and institutions supporting the private sector. As President of the Movement of Small and Medium Enterprises (MPME), she actively works to create a more favorable environment for SME growth, particularly in agribusiness.
She is also dedicated to building bridges between continents, as demonstrated by her recent mission to China, aimed at fostering technological and trade partnerships between Ivorian and Chinese SMEs.
A vision for the future
Patricia Zoundi Yao embodies a bold vision: an agricultural world where even the smallest farmers can become successful entrepreneurs, drivers of economic development, and guardians of biodiversity.
Through Canaan Land, she is paving a concrete path toward agricultural transformation based on autonomy, expertise, equity, and access to opportunities. Her work actively contributes to shaping fairer, more sustainable, and more humane food systems.
With her leadership, a new Africa is emerging—greener, more inclusive, and more resilient.
Patricia has joined COLEAD and UN Women in their South-South Series implemented through the FFM+ programme, an initiative aimed at strengthening women-led businesses by fostering collaboration, knowledge-sharing, skills development, market access, and networking opportunities. You can find valuable resources in the Agrinnovators entrepreneur community: https://agrinnovators.org/
This activity is supported by the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, implemented by COLEAD within the Framework of Development Cooperation between the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union. This publication receives financial support from the European Union and the OACPS. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of COLEAD and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union or the OACPS.
