Advancing women’s entrepreneurship and innovation in agrifood systems across the Mediterranean
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), together with the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), convened policymakers, regional partners, experts and women entrepreneurs at the Regional Policy Conference on Women Entrepreneurs in the Agri-food Sector, held on 28–29 October 2026 in Tunis, Tunisia.
Organized within the framework of the AECID-funded Masar Al’an Programme, the conference brought together perspectives and experiences from seven countries: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia, to explore how innovation, inclusive financing and gender-transformative policies can accelerate women's economic empowerment and leadership across agrifood systems.
Discussions highlighted the persistent structural barriers facing women farmers and agrifood entrepreneurs, particularly unequal access to finance, technology, markets, productive resources and decision-making opportunities. Participants explored practical policy approaches, innovative financing mechanisms and successful regional experiences that could be adapted and scaled up to strengthen women's participation across agrifood value chains.
FAO contributed to the dialogue through Sophia Ngugi, Gender Officer for the Near East and North Africa, and Nabil Assaf, FAO Subregional Coordinator for North Africa and Representative in Tunisia, supporting discussions on gender-transformative approaches and inclusive financing opportunities for women entrepreneurs.
A central focus of the conference was the Regional Policy Agenda 2026–2030 on Innovation for Women Entrepreneurs in Agrifood Systems and its associated 2027 Action Plan, providing a framework for translating regional evidence and shared priorities into concrete national policies, investments and coordinated action.
Among the key lessons emerging from the discussions was the need to move beyond women's participation towards strengthening their economic agency, control over resources and leadership in agrifood systems. Participants also explored the importance of aligning policies with financing opportunities, strengthening regional knowledge exchange and ensuring that successful innovations translate into sustainable, country-led solutions.
Held in the context of the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF) 2026, the conference reinforced the importance of collective action and regional cooperation in advancing more inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, where women are not only participants but also drivers of innovation and transformation. Building on this focus, the recommendations from the event will inform the finalisation of the Regional Policy Agenda 2026–2030 and its accompanying Action Plan, helping to guide future efforts towards more inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems across the Mediterranean region thus taking forward the objectives of the IYWF beyond 2026.