Investing In Farmer Organizations: Lessons from Climate Action, Biodiversity and Land Restoration Initiatives Across Asia
Executive Summary Women farmers are central actors in Asia’s agrifood systems as producers, agricultural workers, fishers, herders and pastoralists, livestock keepers, processors, entrepreneurs, cooperative members, knowledge holders and custodians of natural resources. Yet their contribution is not matched by equal rights, access to resources or decision-making power. FAO (2025) reports that nearly 58% of the […]
Representatives from AFA member and partner organizations gathered for Day 1 of the second session of the Training on Business Continuity Plan (BCP) for Farmers’ Organizations, organized by the Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) and DGRV. The three-day training, held on 10,11 and 14 September 2026, aims to strengthen the resilience of […]
Background: A woman, a farm, and a mission Every harvest begins with a seed. But the story of Pestales Agriculture Cooperative began with something else—a question. Why do the people who work the hardest often earn the least? I am Jenalyn A. Entoy, Chairperson and Founder of Pestales Agriculture Cooperative, a grassroots social enterprise committed […]
What does it take to connect small-scale farmers with public schools, government food programs, and other institutional buyers? Today is Day 1 of the Learning and Documentation Workshop on School Feeding and Institutional Food Procurement. Participants from 12 agri-cooperatives began exploring this question by sharing their experiences, challenges, innovations, and lessons from engaging with school […]
The Unfinished Business of Agrarian Reform in the PhilippinesBy Nikka Rivera Agrarian reform in the Philippines was never only about distributing land. When the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law was enacted in 1988, it sought to address longstanding inequalities in land ownership and land concentration by redistributing agricultural land to landless farmers and farmworkers, securing their […]
UNCCD COP17Youth4Soil Manifesto & Celebration of International Year of the WomanFarmer 202615:30-17:00, MET24 BackgroundLand and soil restoration are crucial for achieving food security, climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable livelihoods. Young people are already taking the lead in land and soil restoration; they are training peers, restoring degraded lands, practicing composting and agroecology, applying Indigenous and local knowledge, […]
UNCCD COP17 Side EventA Global Outlook for Local Impact – Innovation and Technologies Shaping the Future of Agrifood Systems27 August 2026 | 10:00–11:30 | Mongolia Pavilion AFA Coordinator for Sustainable Agriculture and Women Farmers’ Agenda Irish Baguilat, Byamba Dorjsuren of AGRI-COOP/Namac, and Neha Maraj of Self Employed Women’s Association-SEWA shared their experiences and perspectives on […]
