Heifer International to Elevate the Voices of Female Producers to Mark International Year of the Woman Farmer

Global non-profit will showcase the reality of daily life for women farmers as part of the UN’s year-long celebration.

04 December 2025, Little Rock: Heifer International will platform the stories of female producers to celebrate the International Year of the Woman Farmer throughout 2026.

Gender equality is a fundamental principle of Heifer International’s work to reduce hunger and poverty through agriculture. In 2024, two-thirds of the participants in Heifer’s projects were women.

During 2026, the nonprofit will showcase the challenges and triumphs of women farmers in the countries where Heifer works to champion gender equality in agriculture.

“Ending hunger is not only a question of producing more food – it is about who grows it, who has access to resources, and who reaps the benefits,” said Surita Sandosham, President and CEO of Heifer International, in an op-ed for Rural 21, the international journal for rural development, published to coincide with the launch of the international year.

“Investing in the empowerment of women farmers is one of the most effective strategies to build resilient, food-secure societies and support sustainable development.”

The International Year of the Woman Farmer, which was officially launched by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Thursday, December 4, recognizes the vital role that women play in agriculture worldwide, especially in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, where women make up nearly half of the agricultural workforce and are responsible for up to 80 per cent of food production.

However, women farmers typically own less than 15 per cent of agricultural land and receive less than 10 per cent of agricultural loans, which undermines their ability to invest in tools and resources to increase their yields.

UN research shows that the gender gap in agriculture deprives the world of additional food supplies that could lift 45 million people out of food insecurity. Closing both the gender gap and the wage gap in jobs across the agrifood sector would be enough to increase global gross domestic product (GDP) by one per cent and reduce global food insecurity by about two percentage points.

Heifer International’s gender-centered approach spans 19 countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas, reaching more than 52 million people since 1944. By combining technical training, market facilitation and advocacy for women’s land and resource rights, Heifer supports women farmers to increase productivity, regenerate land and strengthen food security for entire communities.

For example, in Rwanda, with support from Heifer International, rural women formed a savings group that began with just 20 cents each per week. Their pooled savings eventually grew into a small chicken feed business, and with further training, they established a Livestock Farmer Field School that helped members improve animal husbandry practices and double their milk production.

In Bangladesh, Heifer’s Women Farmers Grow Vegetables, Flowers and Wealth project has trained more than 5,600 women farmers on climate-smart agricultural techniques, including new crop varieties, and mulching. Cooperatives supported by the project have adopted eight solar-powered irrigation pumps, using less diesel fuel and cumulatively reducing carbon emissions by nearly 33,000 liters of carbon dioxide per month.

And in Mexico, Heifer supported women to establish a cage-free egg enterprise in which each member received 50 hens, along with training in sustainable poultry rearing, business development and food safety. The collective’s members’ income has grown significantly, now contributing an average of 12 percent of household earnings, while their participation in financial decisions has risen from 66 per cent to 100 per cent.

“The International Year of the Woman Farmer is an important opportunity to recognize the essential contributions of women to global food security. But it must also acknowledge the barriers that continue to hold women – and their communities – back,” added Sandosham.

“By uplifting the voices of women, Heifer International hopes to raise awareness of the urgent need to close the gender gap and invest in women’s empowerment – for everyone’s benefit.”

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