Senegalese entrepreneur Salamba Diene empowers local farmers, particularly women, by transforming raw agricultural products into high-value agri-food and cosmetic goods through her company, Biosene SARL.
Despite producing essential crops such as millet, fonio, baobab, and hibiscus, many Senegalese farmers—who comprise nearly 60% of the country’s workforce and are predominantly women—face significant challenges. They often lack the necessary resources, market access, and processing infrastructure to grow their businesses. Consequently, over 80% of rural women in agriculture live below the poverty line, while Senegal continues to import processed food products that could be produced locally.
Salamba Diene saw this disconnect as both a crisis and an opportunity. If local producers had access to better processing technology, fairer trade opportunities, and a global market, they could turn raw materials into high-value products – benefiting themselves and the entire Senegalese economy. With this mission in mind, she founded Biosene SARL. The company works directly with over 6,600 farmers and processors, scaling local production and tapping international markets.
Diane journeys into entrepreneurship
Salamba Diene studied economic development and international project management at the Sorbonne in Paris. After graduating, she became the Operations Director at Laboratoires Bioessence. However, she felt a strong desire to return home. Diene wanted to make a difference in Senegal by leveraging her knowledge and skills to create opportunities for others. In 2017, she founded Biosene SARL, a company specialising in producing and transforming agri-food and cosmetic products using organic ingredients.
Biosene collaborates with local producers, particularly women, to create creams, oils, and food supplements using baobab, moringa, millet, fonio, and hibiscus. These products promote health and beauty, contributing to sustainable agriculture and preserving Senegal’s natural resources.
Under Diene’s leadership, Biosene has expanded internationally, exporting to the Japanese, Canadian, American, and European markets. In 2021, USAID awarded a co-investment grant of $479,957, quadrupling the company’s raw material sourcing capacity to 1,500 tons annually and significantly increasing export and domestic sales.
The company has partnered with USAID to support 6,600 farmers and processors, increasing their sales by over 100%. In financial terms, Biosene has generated $1.1 million in export sales and over $1.8 million in domestic sales. Their operations have created jobs, particularly for women. Since partnering with USAID, Biosene’s workforce has grown from 57 to 177 employees, with 64 women holding key roles in production and management.
In response to increasing demand, Biosene also invested in a cereal production facility in Bambilor, increasing its daily processing capacity from 600 kg to 4 tons. This expansion has drastically improved efficiency, reducing export order fulfillment time from 45 to 7 days.
Diene empowers women beyond business
Salamba Diene is dedicated to women’s empowerment, and her efforts extend beyond Biosene. In 2015, she founded the Action for African Development (ADA) association, which supports over 3,000 women in enhancing their living conditions through skill development and economic inclusion initiatives.
