World Rural Forum

15/10/2026

We are delighted to share the story of Ndjab Victoire, a Cameroonian farmer, on this .

Ndjab Victoire is an example of overcoming the systemic barriers that women farmers face in carrying out their work and accessing land. In Cameroon, women farmers have very limited access to formal land ownership, despite representing more than 60% of the country’s agricultural workforce (FAO). With the support of REFACOF, a member of the World Rural Forum and part of the Rural Women in Action Network, Victoire and other women farmers have joined the Lilaglé initiative, a structure that gives them the right to access land and manage it independently: “On our own, we cannot move forward far enough. We decided that we had to move forward hand in hand.” Don’t miss her story.

In the , the World Rural Forum has sought to tell the stories of women farmers who, every day, work, lead and inspire from within their communities. Women who face many challenges in sustaining and developing their livelihoods. Women who need specific public policies that remove structural barriers, particularly in access to land, participation in decision-making spaces and generational renewal.

Let us join our efforts with theirs. The International Year of the Woman Farmer is an opportunity for real change.

🇪🇺 This video was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its content is the sole responsibility of the World Rural Forum and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

15/10/2026

We are delighted to share the story of Marta Alonso, a Panamanian farmer, on this .

Doña Marta’s story is one of a life deeply connected to the land. She learned to farm as a child and later decided to start her own agricultural project. After facing “many noes”, encountering numerous technical difficulties and struggling to make progress, she found her path. Today, she is a respected agricultural leader in La Chorrera, Panama, where she mentors groups of women farmers and young people and advocates for organic production, healthy food and the transmission of knowledge between generations. Don’t miss her story.

Marta Alonso is also a member of CONADAF, Panama’s National Committee for Family Farming Dialogue, a platform that works with the Regional Rural Dialogue Programme (PDRR), a member organisation of the World Rural Forum.

In the , the World Rural Forum has sought to tell the stories of women farmers who, every day, work, lead and inspire from within their communities. Women who face many challenges in sustaining and developing their livelihoods. Women who need specific public policies that remove structural barriers, particularly in access to land, participation in decision-making spaces and generational renewal.

Let us join our efforts with theirs. The Year of the Woman Farmer is an opportunity for real change.

🇪🇺 This video was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its content is the sole responsibility of the World Rural Forum and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

13/10/2026

A life rooted in the land.

Marta Alonso’s story, like that of so many women farmers, is one of overcoming obstacles, perseverance, learning and building alliances with other women.

A woman with the land in her DNA and the strength that comes from perseverance. “I knocked on many doors and faced many noes,” says this Panamanian farmer at one point in her story. Today, she is a respected leader in her community, where she mentors groups of women and young people.

A member of CONADAF (Panama’s National Committee for Family Farming Dialogue), an organisation that works with the Regional Rural Dialogue Programme (PDRR), her journey has been marked by a strong commitment to her environment, her community and future generations of family farmers. “Take your granddaughter with you, take your daughter and teach her,” she encourages other women in the video.

Here is a short preview of Doña Marta’s story, which we will publish on 15 October, , as part of the .

🇪🇺 This video was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its content is the sole responsibility of the World Rural Forum and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.



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07/10/2026

“Farmers are not waiting. We are adapting, restoring our soils and sharing knowledge farmer to farmer. One size does not fit all, but our solutions exist. Back them. Invest in them. Design them with us.” — Aileen Burness.

At the Observer Constituencies Dialogue with Ministers at COP31 Pre-COP, the World Rural Forum delivered a statement on behalf of the Farmers Constituency. Aileen Burness, a Fijian farmer, and a WRF member, spoke about farmers priorities for COP31 in Antalya.

With a strong El Niño upon us, causing drought and flooding in different regions, farmers are calling for adaptation policies to be designed with farmers at every level, and for climate finance to be available, accessible and predictable: “Finance that arrives after the season is lost arrives too late.”

Women farmers like Aileen, with long experience in agricultural entrepreneurship and in supporting other women farmers, know how important it is to have a place where decisions are made. Hence the call for farmers to be represented in the just transition mechanism, and a clear direction for the future of the agriculture item under the UNFCCC, where farmers organisations play a central role.

“Remember who is farming,” Aileen stressed. “This is the International Year of the Woman Farmer. Let it be remembered for what changed, not for what was said.”



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05/10/2026

The impacts of climate change are already a daily reality in the Pacific, where rising sea levels and extreme weather test the resilience of local food systems every day.

While these realities are distinct, family farmers worldwide face the same systemic hurdles, from limited access to climate finance to a lack of seat at the governance tables where climate policies are shaped.

To bridge these challenges with real-world solutions, the World Rural Forum has arrived in Nadi to host the Frontline Food Systems Leaders’ Pre-COP31 conference, organised in partnership with Pacific Farmer Organisations, Ambition Loop, and the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities.

We extend our sincere gratitude to Hon Tomasi Tunabuna, Fiji’s Agriculture Minister for joining us to open this landmark conference, reinforcing the importance of farmers’ leadership in national and global climate strategies.

Throughout the week, regional family farmers representatives, including youth leaders and women farmers from across the globe will exchange experiences with their Pacific peers. Together, we will visit local family farms, examine agroecological resilience in practice, and bring these frontline priorities directly into the high-level political dialogues of the official Pacific Pre-COP31 as we build our path toward Antalya.

If you are currently in Fiji, we invite you to join our official side event at the Vale ni Vanua Stakeholder Programme and add your voice to this vital discussion by registering at this link: https://greenzone-precop31.com/event/1-5-needs-family-farming-can-finance-keep-up

🇪🇺 With the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the World Rural Forum and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.



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01/10/2026

“I was born with a love for the land. Since childhood, agriculture has been part of my identity and my everyday life. My mother and father passed on to us the values of hard work, discipline and a strong connection with our environment. Although they were teachers, they always wanted to cultivate the land and teach us the importance of producing what we consumed. This upbringing profoundly shaped the woman and agronomist I have become. Today, I manage several diversified farms combining fish farming, oil palm cultivation, mango agroforestry, poultry farming and spice production. At the same time, I support hundreds of rural women in improving their agricultural activities. What gives me the greatest satisfaction is seeing my farms develop year after year and the women I support gradually gain greater autonomy and become more empowered. Every time a woman producer improves her yields, develops a new activity or increases her income thanks to the training she has received, I feel that my mission has been accomplished. For me, being a woman in this sector means taking on a dual responsibility: producing, but also paving the way and showing by example that women can manage diversified and profitable farms. I am married and a mother of two children, and I continued pursuing my passion for agriculture and livestock farming after getting married, which led me to become independent through my own farms. This has never prevented me from sharing my knowledge or from fully developing professionally in the rural world, as a woman who lives and works there every day. On the ground, I also see that it remains difficult to mobilise women in some cooperatives because of the limited time they have available between farm work and family responsibilities. It is also important to remember that, in Benin, many women do not own the land they farm, as customary norms still largely exclude them from inheriting land. We often have to demonstrate our skills more than our male colleagues in order to receive the same recognition. But it is also an extraordinary responsibility: to pave the way for other women and show them that success is possible. Now we need to go further by making it easier for women to gain ownership of land, which remains, in my view, the main obstacle that needs to be overcome. To all women farmers of today and tomorrow, I would like to say this: believe in your potential, invest in your farms as you would invest in your future, keep learning and never be afraid to innovate. My name is Bignon Nadine Assogba, I am from Benin and I am part of REFACOF. This is my story for the hashtag .”

🇪🇺 Co-funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the World Rural Forum and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

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28/09/2026

17/09/2026

Join our webinar!

On 30 September, join us for the international webinar “Towards equality: tools and experiences to strengthen women farmers’ leadership in policy dialogue”.

📅 30 September 2026 | 2:00–4:00 p.m. (CEST) | Online via Zoom

Link to join the session in our link in bio.

Organised with FAO as part of the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026 and the United Nations Decade of Family Farming 2019–2028, this webinar will provide an opportunity to exchange tools, experiences and lessons learned to strengthen women farmers’ participation and leadership in dialogue processes and public policies.

The practical guide “Empowering women through National Action Plans for Family Farming” will feature prominently during the session, and participants will be invited to share their experiences.

We hope to bring together a wide range of participants to foster collective reflection on the most effective policies and institutional mechanisms for strengthening women’s empowerment, leadership and participation in family farming.



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02/09/2026

“My mother and my father were farmers and, since childhood, I always helped them with their farming activities while continuing my studies. After getting married, I began managing a farm together with my husband. Thanks to my parents’ work, I was able to continue my studies, build a house and acquire my own land. This experience has shown me the importance of investing in agriculture. It is also rewarding and enriching work that allows me to contribute to the production of healthy, quality food. It also gives me the opportunity to create employment for people around me and support my community. Being a woman in the agri-food sector means being able to contribute to the development of our agriculture and economy, while also showing that women have a role to play at every level of the value chain. It means facing challenges, seizing opportunities and opening the way for future generations. These challenges include insecure access to land tenure and difficulties in putting some of the training we receive into practice; for example, some agroecological techniques require too much physical strength. In my opinion, it is necessary to strengthen women’s literacy and training, raise awareness among men so that they support women, guarantee equal access to land and economic activities, and promote women’s participation in decision-making spaces. My name is Raziliarisoa Tahiry, I am from Madagascar, I am a vegetable producer and a member of Fifata Ofisialy. This is my story for the .”

🇪🇺 Co-funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the World Rural Forum and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.



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“Mi madre y mi padre eran agricultores y, desde mi infancia, siempre les ayudé en sus actividades agrícolas mientras continuaba mis estudios. Después de casarme, comencé a gestionar una explotación agrícola con mi marido. Gracias al trabajo de mis padres pude continuar con mis estudios, construir una casa y adquirir mis propias tierras. Esta experiencia me demuestra la importancia de invertir en la agricultura. Además, es un trabajo gratificante y enriquecedor que me permite contribuir a la producción de alimentos saludables y de calidad. También me brinda la oportunidad de crear empleo para las personas de mi entorno y apoyar a mi comunidad. Ser mujer en el sector agroalimentario significa poder contribuir al desarrollo de nuestra agricultura y economía, demostrando al mismo tiempo que las mujeres tienen un papel que desempeñar en todos los niveles de la cadena de valor. Significa afrontar desafíos, aprovechar oportunidades y abrir camino a las generaciones futuras. Desafíos como la inseguridad en el acceso a la tenencia de la tierra o las dificultades para aplicar algunas formaciones que recibimos; por ejemplo, algunas técnicas agroecológicas requieren demasiada fuerza física. En mi opinión, es necesario reforzar la alfabetización y formación de las mujeres, sensibilizar a los hombres para que las apoyen, garantizar la igualdad de acceso a la tierra y a las actividades económicas y promover su participación en los espacios de toma de decisiones. Mi nombre es Raziliarisoa Tahiry, soy de Madagascar, soy productora de hortalizas y formo parte de FIFATA. Esta es mi historia para el ”.

🇪🇺 Con el apoyo financiero de la Unión Europea. Su contenido es responsabilidad exclusiva del Foro Rural Mundial y no refleja necesariamente los puntos de vista de la Unión Europea.

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« Ma mère et mon père étaient agriculteurs et, dès mon enfance, je les ai toujours aidés dans leurs activités agricoles tout en poursuivant mes études. Après mon mariage, j’ai commencé à gérer une exploitation agricole avec mon mari. Grâce au travail de mes parents, j’ai pu poursuivre mes études, construire une maison et acquérir mes propres terres. Cette expérience m’a montré l’importance d’investir dans l’agriculture. C’est aussi un travail gratifiant et enrichissant qui me permet de contribuer à la production d’aliments sains et de qualité. Il me donne également l’opportunité de créer des emplois pour les personnes de mon entourage et de soutenir ma communauté. Être une femme dans le secteur agroalimentaire signifie pouvoir contribuer au développement de notre agriculture et de notre économie, tout en démontrant que les femmes ont un rôle à jouer à chaque niveau de la chaîne de valeur. C’est relever des défis, saisir des opportunités et ouvrir la voie aux générations futures. Des défis tels que l’insécurité dans l’accès à la tenure foncière ou les difficultés à mettre en pratique certaines formations que nous recevons ; par exemple, certaines techniques agroécologiques demandent trop de force physique. Selon moi, il est nécessaire de renforcer l’alphabétisation et la formation des femmes, de sensibiliser les hommes afin qu’ils les soutiennent, de garantir l’égalité d’accès à la terre et aux activités économiques, et de promouvoir leur participation dans les espaces de prise de décision. Je m’appelle Raziliarisoa Tahiry, je viens de Madagascar, je suis productrice maraîchère et je fais partie de FIFATA. Voici mon histoire pour l’ . »

🇪🇺 Avec le soutien financier de l’Union européenne. Son contenu relève de la seule responsabilité du Forum Rural Mondial et ne reflète pas nécessairement les points de vue de l’Union européenne.