Women cultivating the future in Latin America and the Caribbean

Women farmers in Latin America and the Caribbean face barriers to accessing land, productive resources and decision-making. FAO works to accelerate women’s empowerment by promoting public policies, partnerships, investments, capacities, evidence and a gender-responsive approach to transform agrifood systems and advance towards more sustainable and inclusive territories. Within the framework of the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026, five life stories show how women from different territories across the region are agents of agrifood systems transformation.

In Guatemala, Isabela Juárez, 26, is a young Indigenous woman from Quiché, a community promoter and leader of the Tierra Ixil Association, who has opened pathways where economic opportunities for women have been limited. Through the “Rural Livelihoods and Enterprises Recovery (REME)” project, implemented by FAO together with the Government of Guatemala and the European Union, she received training in poultry management and care, as well as in strengthening rural enterprises. Today, she applies this knowledge to improve her production, diversify her income, and strengthen her food security.

The impact of Isabel’s technical training extends beyond her household. As a community promoter, she supports and trains other women, replicating knowledge that is transforming their communities in Guatemala: an increasing number of women have sustainable chicken coops in their homes, allowing them to access fresh and nutritious food and generate additional income by selling surpluses. This experience motivated her to join the association, where, together with FAO, she promotes the construction of greenhouses to create employment opportunities for young people and provide alternatives that help reduce migration in her community.

In the Boa Vista Quilombo, in Maranhão, northeastern Brazil, families such as that of babassu coconut breaker Maria Ribamar, known as Ribinha, had lived and produced for generations in fear of losing what they had planted and built because land tenure had not been regularized in their names. This uncertainty is changing with the support of the “Land for Women” project, funded by the Government of Canada and implemented by FAO in collaboration with the Maranhão Institute of Colonization and Land (Iterma).

Ribinha is part of the women’s cooperative Sabor y Arte, which uses babassu coconut to produce handicrafts and foods such as babassu oil, mesocarp flour and biscuits. Through this initiative, which will benefit 2 500 women farmers in Brazil, in addition to receiving property titles, women receive training in sustainable production practices and entrepreneurship. With legal certainty, Ribinha’s territory is becoming a secure source of income, autonomy, production, new opportunities, dignity, community work, and belonging.

When primary school teacher Elevernie Davis began teaching at SDA Eden Primary School in Belize, the school did not have a garden and students had limited opportunities to learn where their food came from. Now, through the project implemented by FAO together with the Government of Belize, “Increasing the accessibility and acceptance of nutritious, underutilized, locally grown products in Belize’s national school feeding programmes,” Elevernie combines classroom teaching with hands-on learning, helping students develop practical agricultural skills while contributing fresh vegetables for nutritious school meals.

The success of the initiative extends beyond the school grounds, and some students have established gardens in their homes and share their knowledge with their families. Teacher Elevernie helps students apply agricultural concepts beyond the classroom, fostering responsibility, teamwork, and appreciation for healthy eating. Today, nearly 800 students and more than 50 teachers have been trained, contributing to more resilient local food systems and a stronger culture of nutrition and sustainability in Belize’s schools.

Alda Rodríguez is an agronomist, holds a doctorate in Agricultural Sciences, is a producer and founder of BIO Uruguay, an organization based in Tacuarembó, Uruguay, dedicated to promoting sustainable agricultural production systems. On her family farm, she integrates horticulture, livestock, fruit trees, seed conservation, food processing, natural water treatment and educational spaces under an agroecological approach. From this experimental centre, located 400 kilometres from Uruguay’s capital, she researches and develops bioinputs from native microorganisms as alternatives to synthetic chemical pesticides.

In developing science, innovation and local talent connected to the land, Alda has faced regulatory barriers and financing difficulties. Her participation in the “Pesticides Project” in Uruguay, implemented by the ministries of Environment and of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries, with technical support from FAO and funding from the GEF, enabled BIO Uruguay to make progress in developing a biological ant-control agent. Today, her bio inputs are used and evaluated in different production systems, from crops such as soybeans and rice to cattle farming, expanding alternatives to reduce the use of synthetic chemical products and advance towards more sustainable production systems.

Julia Mañón, an artisanal fisher from Boca Chica in the Dominican Republic, faced the challenge of properly preserving her catches for years and depended on intermediaries who reduced her earnings. Today, as a member of an artisanal fishers’ organization in her community, she participates in initiatives that strengthen the artisanal fisheries value chain. Through the FISH4ACP project, implemented by FAO with support from the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), her association has received training in organizational management and market access, as well as co-financing for equipment to strengthen the cold chain.

With this support, in which the Dominican Council for Fisheries and Aquaculture (CODOPESCA) and ISA University also participate, Julia has strengthened her capacities in responsible fishing, post-harvest handling and marketing. This knowledge has enabled her to improve the quality of her products and access better market opportunities, allowing her to offer higher-quality fish, negotiate directly with hotels, restaurants and supermarkets in the Dominican Republic, and create better opportunities for the fishing families in her community. Her experience shows that, when women have tools and opportunities, they can transform their livelihoods and contribute to the sustainable development of their coastal communities.

Recognizing the contribution of women farmers to food security, nutrition and sustainable development; investing in policies, programmes and resources that promote their empowerment and economic autonomy; and removing the barriers that limit their access to land, finance, technology, training and decision-making are key to fully developing their potential as agents of agrifood systems transformation. The International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026 offers a unique opportunity to place women farmers at the centre of the agrifood systems agenda and accelerate action.