When Women Lead, Food and Land Systems Thrive: The International Year of the Woman Farmer
Women, young people, Indigenous Peoples, and rural communities can be innovators, entrepreneurs, and change makers in our food systems. But we have to close gender gaps.
The United Nations has declared 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer in order to spotlight the often unrecognized and undervalued roles that women hold across agrifood systems.
We need informed, systemic change
Addressing persistent patterns of inequality and exclusion is essential to achieve national and global targets to eradicate hunger, inequalities and food insecurity. For example, closing on-farm gender gaps could:
- lift 45 million people out of food insecurity
- boost agricultural productivity, raising global GDP by USD 1 trillion
The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT produces evidence and agricultural innovations that address the underlying causes of inequality and exclusion. In collaboration with public and private sector partners in Africa, Latin America, and Asia, the Alliance conducts research and co-designs or documents innovations that solve real-life challenges in agricultural production, environmental conservation, markets, policies, and institutions. Innovative approaches, such as combining social and technical innovations; investing in equitable supply chains; and transforming attitudes about land rights and ownership have resulted not only in greater agency, empowerment, and equality for underrepresented groups—but also greater productivity, enhanced resilience, and stronger agricultural economies and market participation.
Throughout the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF), we will be collecting and sharing stories of women farmers and evidence for how we can move towards more equitable, resilient, and prosperous food systems.
Read about women farmers
