FAO empowers youth and women to advance cooperative development across the Near East and North Africa
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) strengthened the capacities and leadership of youth and women in cooperative development through two complementary regional events held in July 2026, reaffirming its commitment to fostering more inclusive, resilient and business-oriented agrifood systems across the Near East and North Africa (NENA).
The initiative began with a Preparatory Training Webinar on 7 July, organized by the FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (RNE) in collaboration with the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) Regional Offices for Africa and Asia-Pacific and the World Food Forum Youth Chapters. The webinar equipped young participants with a stronger understanding of cooperative identity, governance and business models, preparing them to engage actively in the regional dialogue that followed.
Building on this foundation, FAO RNE convened the Regional Youth & Women Cooperatives Forum on 16 July, bringing together youth and women cooperative leaders and development practitioners from the region and beyond. The Forum provided a platform for exchanging experiences, showcasing innovative practices and identifying practical solutions to strengthen cooperative ecosystems and enhance the contribution of youth and women to agrifood systems transformation.
Across the NENA region, youth and women play a vital role in agriculture and rural economies but continue to face significant barriers to accessing productive resources, finance, markets, technology and leadership opportunities. Through these events, participants explored how cooperatives and other forms of collective action can create decent employment, strengthen resilience, improve market access and empower communities while contributing to more sustainable and inclusive agrifood systems.
Opening the Forum, Faten Adada, Agriculture and Rural Development Expert at FAO RNE, emphasized that strengthening cooperative ecosystems is essential for achieving inclusive rural transformation. She noted that the Forum builds on the regional vision established during the 2025 Strategic Dialogue on Cooperative Development and forms part of FAO's broader efforts to support governments, cooperative organizations and development partners in creating enabling environments where youth and women can thrive as cooperative leaders and entrepreneurs.
The Forum featured interactive plenary discussions and thematic breakout sessions covering sustainable agriculture and climate resilience, market access and value addition, inclusive finance, digital innovation, leadership and empowerment, peacebuilding, community resilience and social cohesion, and the valorization of cultural heritage. Participants worked together to develop practical recommendations for strengthening cooperative ecosystems and promoting greater participation of youth and women in cooperative governance and rural development.
A key highlight of the Forum was the launch of Voices of Cooperators: A Journey Through the Agrifood Systems in the Near East and North Africa, a publication featuring more than 70 stories from cooperative leaders across the region. Through personal testimonies, the publication celebrates the experiences of women and youth who are driving innovation, strengthening community resilience and creating opportunities through cooperation. It also reflects the diversity of cooperative models across the region and demonstrates how collective action contributes to more inclusive and sustainable agrifood systems.
The events form part of FAO's regional project Building Resilient, Inclusive and Business-Oriented Cooperative Ecosystems for Agrifood Systems Transformation in the NENA Region, which supports countries in strengthening policies, institutions, capacities and partnerships for cooperative development. By investing in the leadership and entrepreneurship of youth and women, FAO continues to advance cooperative ecosystems that generate decent livelihoods, promote innovation and contribute to resilient and sustainable agrifood systems across the Near East and North Africa.