At COAG29, Director-General highlights women farmers' role in combating global crises

Rome— Women farmers play a decisive role in rural communities and contribute to a more sustainable, and food-secure world, declared the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, at a high-level event today. Speaking on the sidelines of the 29th Session of the Committee on Agriculture (COAG29), he emphasized the urgent need to empower women and girls in agriculture.

The event “Empowering women farmers to tackle hunger, poverty, and climate change,” focused on preparations for the upcoming International Year of the Woman Farmer in 2026. The year, proposed by the United States  and adopted by a UN General Assembly Resolution in May 2024, will serve as a global platform to recognize the contributions of women in agriculture, while driving policy changes to ensure their full participation in sustainable development.

Qu said that global efforts “cannot only be for a year, but rather for a decade, a lifelong commitment”.

Women farmers face many challenges, particularly in regions like sub-Saharan Africa, where they comprise 66% of the agricultural labor force. Despite their central role, women farmers often face significant barriers, such as gender discrimination, lack of access to resources, and unpaid care work.

The 2024 SDG Gender Index reveals that nearly 40% of countries have either stalled or regressed on gender equality since 2019, highlighting the urgency of closing the gender gap. If the current trend continues, gender equality will remain out of reach by the end of this century.

Further, FAO’s 2023 report on The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems, shows that globally, women make up 36% of the agricultural workforce but often work in low-skilled and unstable jobs, earning just 82 cents for every dollar earned by men. Similarly, FAO’s report The Unjust Climate, outlines how climate stress disproportionately affects women in rural areas, widening the income gap by as much as $37 billion annually between female- and male-headed households.

In laying out the path forward, he called for actions to empower women: ‘’we need to economically empower women with professional skills, and cultural and legal independence” Qu said, underscoring the world's responsibility to offer them training and opportunities.

Qu further reaffirmed FAO’s commitment to amplifying the voices of women farmers during the International Year of the Woman Farmer in 2026, including within the recently established FAO Office for Youth and Women.

The event included remarks from Ambassador Jeffrey Prescott, Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture and featured a panel discussion with women farmers from the United States, Nepal and Brazil. The session concluded with remarks from Ambassador Narantungalag Tserendorj of Mongolia.