Empowering Women in Agrifood (EWA)

The Empowering Women in Agrifood (EWA) programme was set up to support women in developing their business activity in the agrifood sector, not only through financing, but above all through tailor-made training, mentoring and networking. The aim of the programme is to comprehensively support female entrepreneurs at an early stage of their careers and to realise their potential, by providing them with access to knowledge and networks that will help to successfully start up and grow a sustainable business in the agrifood sector.

DZP has been supporting innovative entities with high growth potential for many years now in the DZP | Future programme, which is why on 14 June our Warsaw office hosted the participants in the EWA programme, organised by EiT Food.

The meeting was opened by Paulina Brym-Ciuba, CEO of Startup Hub Poland, Maciej Zajda, coordinator of the DZP | Future project supporting startups, and Aleksandra Bara, Project Manager at EiT Food. During the event, programme participants presented their innovative agrifood projects and Noemi Malska, General Manager of Findings, gave a talk on "Startup in agrifood: from idea to scaleup".

Additionally, DZP experts: Paweł Mirosz, adviser on food law, with Martyna Gruszka and Michał Nita from the IP&TMT Practice, talked about legal aspects of operating in the agrifood sector, focusing particularly on food law and the protection of intellectual property rights in Poland. Paweł Mirosz gave a presentation centred on the key principles and requirements of food law, including the marketing of products on the EU market, and discussed the European Commission's strategy for a sustainable food system. Martyna Gruszka outlined to participants ways to legally protect modern IT solutions in the agrotech sector, and Michał Nita gave a presentation on industrial property protection in plant breeding and biotechnology.

Ten female founders of agrifood startups are taking part in the EWA programme and will develop their ideas for innovative businesses for six months under the guidance of experienced women mentors.

For more information about the EWA programme, visit the organiser’s website.