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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
Shantarami Chaudhary, 37, lives in Gadhawa Rural Municipality, Dang district, Nepal. Like many Tharu families in Nepal, her family traditionally lived in a joint household, sharing land, livestock, and resources passed down through generations. Her family, with 25 members from five siblings, lived together on just 0.047 hectares of land. It wasn’t enough to support […]
Despite their relentless hard work, many farmers still face hunger. This paradox has long troubled rural communities, where those who feed the world often struggle to feed themselves. To confront this injustice, the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) launched Kheti Jhumbesh (Agriculture Campaign) in 1989, a movement rooted in solidarity, resilience, and the voices of women […]
In 2020, Narayani Mondal, a woman farmer from West Bengal, India, decided to start a household nutrition garden. The initiative was inspired by IMSE, which help households establish kitchen gardens to improve family nutrition and promote sustainable family farming. Narayani chose to keep her gardening process entirely natural. She uses zero chemical fertilizers or synthetic […]
In the village of Thlork Vien, Samaki Meanchey District, Kampong Chhnang Province, Cambodia a small dream began to grow. In 2019, with the guidance of the Farmer and Nature Net Association (FNN) and support from local authorities, seven farmers came together to form an organic vegetable producers group, with the goal to produce healthier crops, […]
Across 14 countries in Asia, farmers’ organizations have strengthened enterprises, expanded market opportunities, amplified farmers’ voices in policy dialogues, and built more inclusive and resilient institutions. The results speak for themselves: more than 3 million farmers reached, stronger livelihoods, increased incomes, empowered women and youth leaders, and more sustainable food systems across the region. This […]
