The World Food Forum (WFF) Startup Innovation Awards (SIA), powered by MassChallenge Switzerland, is a global platform spotlighting and elevating young entrepreneurs using technology to transform agrifood systems, end global hunger, and advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Through its strategic collaboration with MassChallenge Switzerland, selected startups gain exclusive access to the MassChallenge Switzerland Accelerator in Lausanne, unlocking world-class mentorship, networks, and growth opportunities.

2026 Award Categories

Digital Innovation in Food Processing Award: Startups developing cutting-edge solutions to enhance the sustainability, efficiency and resilience of food processing systems. This award celebrates innovations transforming how raw food materials are processed, preserved and packaged using data-driven insights, smart equipment and connected platforms that optimize every step of the food processing chain.

Fighting Malnutrition and Enhancing Food Security Award: Startups developing scalable, inclusive solutions that address malnutrition and food insecurity by improving nutrition education, increasing access to nutritious food, strengthening local food systems and leveraging sustainable and digital innovations across agrifood value chains.

 Enhancing Climate Change and Water security: Startups developing innovative solutions to tackle the urgent challenges of climate change and water scarcity. This award recognizes technologies and practices that promote sustainable water management, strengthen resilience to climate change and support the long-term sustainability of agrifood systems and the communities that depend on them.

Empowering Women in Agrifood Systems Award: Startups developing inclusive innovations that strengthen women’s participation and leadership in agrifood systems by improving access to finance and markets, skills, entrepreneurship training and leveraging digital tools.

Benefits

Cash Prizes

Award winners will receive at least USD 7 500 per category, with USD 2 500 awarded to runners-up. The overall Startup Innovation Awards winner will receive an additional USD 10 000.

All finalists will also be eligible to compete for MassChallenge Switzerland’s prize pool (Up to CHF 1M).

2. Acceleration

Selected startups will be invited to the MassChallenge Switzerland accelerator programme 2026, benefiting from:

world-class mentoring;

tailored and comprehensive curriculum of lectures and workshops;

market guidance;

access to global corporate partners;

in-person events.

3. Support & visibility

Travel support will be provided for two finalist teams per award category to attend the WFF flagship event in Rome, Italy.

Extensive visibility and promotional opportunities will be supported via WFF Youth Initiative social media platforms and website.

Special Awards

Startups joining the programme automatically qualify for these awards and do not need to submit a separate application.

Startup of the Year 2026: This award celebrates the startup that demonstrates exceptional innovation, scalability and potential to transform agrifood systems globally. The overall winner will receive a USD 10 000 cash prize from Seeding The Future Foundation to scale their impact.

Excellence in Applied AI: Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC), a long-time partner of the WFF Startup Innovation Awards, presents a special award for “Excellence in Applied AI” recognizing innovative use of “applied intelligence” across the 2026 categories. The winner of the “Applied AI” award will benefit from:

Inclusion in Extreme Tech Challenge’s global ecosystem of investors and corporate innovation teams;

Publicity through XTC’s media channels;

Invitation to attend XTC’s flagship annual AI conference in California, USA in November, 2026.

Eligibility

Team Profile: Youth leadership

Startups must be youth-led, with at least one founder or C-level executive between 18 and 35 years old at the time of application;

Startup representatives who pitch during the online pitching sessions, participate in the MassChallenge, Switzerland Accelerator programme and present at the 2026 WFF flagship event in Rome, must be 35 years old or younger at the time of the event.

2. Company Stage

Startups should have less than USD 2 million capital raised and generated less than USD 2 million in sales;

3. Solution Stage

Applicants must demonstrate validated evidence of their digital food processing solution, such as pilots, early adoption by processors or value-chain actors, partnerships or measurable operational or impact results;4. Solution Impact 

Startups must be able to demonstrate the scalability of their solution and its potential for growth;

Solutions should show a clear, measurable contribution to more efficient and sustainable agrifood systems.

For more information and application.

Source: Access Agric

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The hub, hosted in Ghana with support from the Government of Japan, is designed to identify, support and prepare startups developing innovative solutions for Africa’s agricultural transformation.

Applications, opened on a rolling basis, would admit startups in quarterly cohorts, with the first intake scheduled for May 2026 and subsequent groups every three months.

The Timbuktoo initiative seeks to address challenges faced by farmers and agribusinesses, including limited market access, climate vulnerability, inefficient supply chains and constrained financing, through financial and technical support.

It aims to mobilise US$1 billion over 10 years, support 10,000 startups, scale 1,000 high-growth enterprises, improve livelihoods for 100 million people and generate US$10 billion in value across the continent.

Speaking at the event, Mr Samuel Nartey George, Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation, commended UNDP and its partners for mobilising capital and supporting African startups.

He said agriculture remained central to livelihoods across Africa but faced persistent challenges that required innovation, strong institutions, partnerships, digital tools and artificial intelligence to support scalable and sustainable small and medium enterprises.

Mr George noted that a new generation of entrepreneurs was developing local solutions with global scalability, enabling farmers to make informed decisions, improve market access and strengthen resilience to climate shocks.

“Innovation does not grow alone. Entrepreneurs thrive when they have strong support systems. This includes incubators, accelerators, investors, research institutions and policymakers. All of us play key roles in turning ideas into sustainable enterprises,” he said.

Ms Shaima Hussein, UNDP Ghana Deputy Resident Representative, said the strength of Africa’s startup ecosystem depended on both the ingenuity of entrepreneurs and the capacity of supporting institutions.

She urged selected incubators to perform effectively, describing them as “multipliers of opportunity,” astheir worked enabled entrepreneurs to access knowledge, mentorship, networks and capital.

Ms Hussein said UNDP was proud to implement the initiative, citing the growth of technology-driven solutions by African entrepreneurs to enhance productivity, strengthen food systems and build climate-resilient agriculture.

Mr Hiroshi Yoshimoto, Japan’s Ambassador to Ghana, said the initiative would empower African youth by supporting tech startups and addressing key development challenges, leveraging Japan’s expertise in entrepreneurship and innovation.

He said Japan remained committed to supporting African innovators through partnerships, recognising the importance of innovation ecosystems for economic growth and technology transfer.

Ms Joan Manda, Global Head of Timbuktoo, said the initiative would build infrastructure to support startups and unlock opportunities for entrepreneurs across the continent.

She said it would connect academia to markets through “unipals” and tech hubs to address talent gaps and support business growth in sectors such as fintech, health technology and agritech.

Source: Access Agric

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 Agriculture continues to play a critical role in protecting Ukrainian communities from food insecurity, even as war-related shocks, declining incomes and limited access to inputs place growing pressure on rural livelihoods, according to new assessment released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The report on food security and agricultural livelihoods in Ukraine, based on interviews with more than 2 800 households across nine front-line oblasts, provides a detailed picture of how rural families are coping with the prolonged impacts of the war.

The report reveals that, despite the challenges, agriculture continues to serve as a vital safety net. Four in ten households are engaged in agricultural production, and for many families farming provides a direct source of food while helping shield them from market disruptions and rising food prices. At the same time, the assessment shows that rural livelihoods are under increasing strain. One in three households reported a decline in income over the past year, reflecting growing economic pressure on families already affected by the war.

This financial stress is forcing many households to adopt strategies that may help them manage short-term hardship but weaken their resilience over time. More than 75 percent of surveyed households reported relying on coping mechanisms, such as spending savings, borrowing money or cutting essential expenditures, including healthcare and education.

“For many rural families in Ukraine, agriculture is not just a source of income – it is a lifeline that helps them feed their families and maintain a sense of stability despite the ongoing war,” said Shakhnoza Muminova, Head of the FAO Office in Ukraine. “Supporting farmers and rural households is therefore necessary not only to protect food security today, but also to safeguard the resilience and recovery of rural communities.”

The findings of the report also highlight the compounded challenges faced by the most vulnerable groups. Internally displaced persons, women-headed households and families living near the frontline experience higher exposure to shocks and significantly greater risks of food insecurity.

“The assessment shows that many rural households continue to rely on farming as a crucial coping strategy,” said Aziz Karimov, Head of the Assessment, Research, and MEAL Unit at FAO Ukraine, and a lead author of the report. “However, declining incomes, repeated shocks and limited access to agricultural inputs are gradually weakening this safety net, leaving vulnerable households increasingly exposed to food insecurity.”

Evidence to guide emergency agriculture and support rural livelihoods

The report provides critical insight into how the war continues to affect food security and agricultural livelihoods at the household level. By linking economic pressures, production challenges and exposure to shocks, it helps explain why many rural families are becoming increasingly vulnerable despite continuing to farm.

The findings have informed FAO’s Emergency and Early Recovery Response Plan for Ukraine 2026–2028, as well as Food Security and Livelihood Cluster partners planning processes aimed at strengthening agricultural resilience and protecting rural livelihoods. By providing evidence on how the war continues to affect household food security and agricultural production, the assessment helps guide targeted support to farmers and rural communities.

As Ukraine continues to face the profound consequences of the war, coordinated efforts by national authorities, humanitarian partners and international donors remain essential to address the growing pressures on rural communities. Supporting farmers and rural families is critical to stabilizing food systems, protecting livelihoods and preventing further deterioration of food security in rural areas.

Key findings

Agriculture remains a critical livelihood strategy, with 40 percent of surveyed households engaged in agricultural production, and 86 percent of agricultural households producing primarily for self-consumption.

Agriculture helps protect households from food insecurity, with farming households reporting lower levels of food deprivation and more diverse diets compared with households not engaged in agricultural activities.

Rural households are under increasing financial pressure, with one in three households reporting a decline in income over the past year, and 48 percent of households relying primarily on agricultural income experiencing falling earnings.

Households in frontline areas face significant economic vulnerability, with 42 percent relying on pensions and 36 percent on social benefits as their primary income sources, and 3 percent reporting no income at all.

Agricultural production is declining under mounting constraints, with 30 percent of crop producers reporting smaller harvests, rising to 45 percent in Khersonska oblast, while 20 percent of livestock producers reported losing animals due to the war.

More than 75 percent of households reported adopting coping strategies to manage financial hardship, including spending savings, borrowing money or reducing essential expenditures such as healthcare and education.

Displacement has had severe impacts on livestock production, with 70 percent of surveyed evacuees reporting that they had to abandon livestock when fleeing their homes.

The most vulnerable groups remain internally displaced persons, women-headed households and families living near the frontline, who consistently experience higher levels of food insecurity, more frequent shocks and greater reliance on negative coping strategies.

Source: Access Agric

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The African Plant Nutrition Scholar Award was implemented in 2020 to develop and encourage success within African graduate student programs specializing in the sciences of plant nutrition and management of crop nutrients.

Eligibility

Applicants are eligible if they are:

Past winners of the Award are not eligible.

Currently enrolled and attending a degree-granting institution located in Africa.

Candidates for M.Sc., M.Phil., or Ph.D. degrees enrolled in a program of graduate study as of the application deadline. M.Sc. and M.Phil students must be in the second year of study.

Applicants who have already completed their degrees are ineligible.

For more information and application

Source: Access Agric

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The World Bank has warned that ongoing conflict and heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East pose a significant risk to global fertiliser supply, raising concerns over potential shortages and price increases for key agricultural inputs.

Speaking at a World Bank Civil Society Organisation Engagement on food security in Accra, Agricultural Economist-World Bank Ghana office Dr. Ashwini Rekha Sebastian said the tensions are creating anxiety about price surges and shortages; not just with input supply but also key staples including rice.

Global fertiliser prices are soaring – with urea rising over 50 percent to over                  US$700 per tonne – as the Middle East crisis disrupts key supplies, particularly nitrogen-based products.

The conflict threatens shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, fuelling a 24 percent increase in ammonia prices and causing severe shortages due to natural gas bottlenecks.

Global urea prices have risen from under US$425 per metric tonne to over                   US$600–US$700 per tonne, while prices for ammonia have risen 24 percent from US$495 per tonne in late February to over US$600 per tonne in mid-March.

Despite the global threats, Dr. Sebastian said some progress has been made and a lot more can happen if the right and targetted investment is put in place.

Dr. Sebastian said the World Bank has targeted several investments with financial commitments in key sub-sectors of the overall agriculture sector.

According to her, the Bank has committed some US$75million to a cocoa rehabilitation initiative aimed at restoring about 25,000 hectares of cocoa farms across Ghana, as the sector faces mounting pressure from disease outbreaks and declining productivity.

The funding, sourced under its West Africa Food Systems Resilience Programme (FSRP) with oversight from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, will support efforts at reviving  severely affected farmlands to improve yields, strengthen farmer incomes and enhance the cocoa sector’s long-term sustainability.

Dr. Sebastian explained that beyond cocoa, the programme is supporting seed system development in selected clusters – including trials of improved crop varieties of tomato that can withstand dry season conditions, particularly in northern Ghana.

“We have a US$12million intervention for commercial poultry farmers, a                        US$200million grant intervention for tree crops and an up to US$20million grant facility to boost tomato production,” she noted.

Project Coordinator for the FSRP in Ghana Osei Owusu Agyeman said the programme, apart from its focus on other key sectors, also aims to produce 6,000 metric tonnes of tomatoes to reduce the need for imports which currently fill a gap due to low local production.

By training 1,500 farmers and providing climate-smart seeds and inputs, the project aims for 15-20 tonnes per hectare yields; thus tackling post-harvest losses and off-season shortages.

Key CSOs that participated in the meeting include the Economic Governance Platform (EGP), Peasant Farmers Association (PFAG), Rice Farmers and Millers Association and Ghana National Association of Poultry Farmers.

The dialogue forms part of an ongoing collaboration between the World Bank and EGP to foster evidence-based policy, progressive reform and focused discourse among key development actors on agriculture in Ghana.

Source:BFT

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It hasn’t worked out that way, as a recent report from The New York Times detailed.  

Nevertheless, there are a number of vertical farms thriving in Wisconsin. Robert Carlson started Grow Space Vertical Farms in Kenosha with his family about three years ago. 

The farm sells a variety of leafy greens, microgreens and herbs directly to individuals and restaurants. Carlson told “Wisconsin Today” that they’ve learned from the mistakes of vertical farms that have failed.

“We are really lucky, because we got to watch all those big vertical farms fail,” Carlson said. “We started in the past three years. So we noticed, ‘OK, this is what they’re doing wrong. Here’s what we’re going to do right now that we can see exactly what doesn’t work.’”

Carlson started tinkering around growing food in their basement “and it kind of snowballed from there.” The family then converted an old furniture store into a full-scale farm operation. 

Johanna Oosterwyk is the manager of the D.C. Smith Instructional Greenhouse at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she teaches classes in greenhouse management and plant care. She explained that vertical farms involve growing food on trays that are stacked, to make better use of space.

“Every layer has associated lights with it,” she explained. “So instead of using sunlight, they’re using electrical energy to create the photons that drive photosynthesis.”

Large vertical farms failed for many reasons, Oosterwyk said. Many owners misunderstood the energy requirements needed for growing plants. While traditional farmers use free sunlight, vertical farms have to pay for electricity to power their lights. And turning buildings into farms created unforeseen engineering challenges.  

“You’ve got the plants growing in … nutrient rich water, not in a potting mix or soil, and all of those plants are transpiring. They’re moving that water through the roots into the plant and out the leaves, and it ends up in the air,” she said. “So you end up with a building with really high relative humidity, and you may not have thought ahead about providing sufficient ventilation. And also, a lot of these old buildings are made out of steel, and steel, when it gets exposed to water, rusts.”

Carlson said his family had to do a number of things to the old furniture store to make it suitable for a farm, including replacing a drop ceiling and waterproofing the building. But improvements in LED lighting have made it economically possible to provide the light needed, he said. Since it’s indoors, the farm can grow food without pesticides and herbicides and it recycles more than 90 percent of the water it uses. 

Although the farm’s produce is more expensive than what people can buy in a grocery store, Carlson said it’s much fresher.

“That’s what everybody absolutely loves,” he said. “The greens are two weeks fresher than they can get from the store. Plus they have the roots still attached, because they’re not in soil. That makes the plants last quite a bit longer.”

Leafy greens producers like Grow Space have been an exception in the industry that has largely struggled to take off, Oosterwyk said. Greens grow quickly and need less light to grow than other vegetables and don’t need pollination. And, they’re better when fresh, so vertical farms growing leafy greens have an advantage over traditional farms that are shipping across the country. 

By locating these farms in urban areas, they can also take advantage of a regular labor supply. 

“It’s an opportunity for employment, particularly year-round employment,” Oosterwyk said. “Many farms are seasonal. So you have a lot of work to do during the harvesting and during the planting season, but maybe you have four

months of winter when you don’t have work for folks. So a benefit to an indoor farm would be consistent year round employment.”

Source: www.wpr.org

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World food commodity prices rose in March for the second month in a row, due largely to higher energy prices linked to the conflict escalation in the Near East, according to the latest benchmark measure released Friday by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a basket of globally-traded food commodities, averaged 128.5 points in March, up 2.4 percent from February and 1.0 percent above its level a year ago.

The FAO Cereal Price Index increased by 1.5 percent from the previous month, driven primarily by higher world wheat prices, which rose 4.3 percent due to drought-related deterioration of crop prospects in the United States of America and expectations of reduced plantings in Australia due to higher fertilizer costs. Global maize quotations edged up slightly, as ample global availability offset concerns over fertilizer affordability and indirect support from greater ethanol demand prospects linked to the rising energy prices. The FAO All-Rice Price Index declined by 3.0 percent in March, driven by harvest timing, weaker import demand, and currency depreciations against the United States dollar.

“Price rises since the conflict began have been modest, driven mainly by higher oil prices and cushioned by ample global cereal supplies,” said FAO Chief Economist Máximo Torero (video interview). “But if the conflict stretches beyond 40 days with high input costs with current low margins, farmers will have to choose: farm the same with fewer inputs, plant less, or switch to less intensive fertilizer crops. Those choices will hit future yields and shape our food supply and commodity prices for the rest of this year and all of the next.”

The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index increased by 5.1 percent from February to stand 13.2 percent higher than its year-earlier level. International quotations for palm, soy, sunflower and rapeseed oil all rose, reflecting spillover effects from the sharp increases in crude oil prices, which catalyzed expectations of stronger demand for biofuels.

The FAO Meat Price Index increased by 1.0 percent from the previous month, driven by a surge in pig meat prices in the European Union ahead of strengthening seasonal demand, along with higher world bovine meat prices, particularly in Brazil, where exportable supplies were curtailed by tightening cattle availability. Ovine and poultry meat prices declined, partly due to logistical constraints limiting access to markets in the Near East.

The FAO Dairy Price Index increased by 1.2 percent, driven primarily by higher quotations for milk powders amid a seasonal decline in supplies in Oceania. International cheese prices declined further in the European Union driven by higher production and weak export demand, while rising in Oceania for the opposite reasons.

The FAO Sugar Price Index increased by 7.2 percent in March. Rising expectations that Brazil, the main sugar exporter, would use more sugarcane to produce ethanol to counter higher international crude oil prices overweighed a generally favourable global supply outlook for the current season, supported by good harvest progress in India and Thailand.

Source:Accessagric

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According to Bayu Shigute, Commissioner of the Addis Ababa Farmers and Urban Agriculture Development Commission, sustained attention and policy support over recent years have enabled urban farming to expand its impact.

What was once a subsistence activity is now becoming a productive, market-oriented sector.

Agriculture has remained a top priority in Ethiopia’s development agenda over the past eight years of reform, playing a central role in driving sustainable economic growth.

Within this framework, urban agriculture has emerged as a vital component.

Urban farming involves the cultivation of vegetables and fruits, as well as the rearing of livestock and fish, within limited city spaces, such as residential compounds, rooftops, and along fences—often using modern, space-efficient technologies.

This system not only enhances household food security but also creates opportunities for additional income through market supply, Bayu elaborated.

Beyond reducing the cost of living, the sector is generating substantial employment, particularly for women and young people.

A key driver behind this progress is the Bounty of the Basket initiative, a government-led effort aimed at strengthening food security nationwide.

The initiative has delivered notable results in both rural and urban settings.

Commissioner Bayu noted that despite Addis Ababa’s favorable conditions for agriculture, there was previously a widespread perception that farming was impractical in an urban environment.

The initiative has played a crucial role in reshaping this mindset.

As a result, participation in urban agriculture has expanded dramatically, from around 150,000 beneficiaries prior to the reforms to approximately 1.2 million today.

In addition, about 2,722 public and private institutions have allocated portions of their land for urban agricultural activities, further accelerating the sector’s growth.

Production levels have also risen significantly, it was indicated.

Over the past year, urban farming generated approximately 280,000 tons of animal products and various vegetables. Within just the first nine months of the current fiscal year, output has already reached 395,000 tons.

These figures reflect a broader transformation among residents, who are increasingly shifting from being solely consumers to becoming active producers.

Alex Demeke, General Manager of the Animal Development and Excellence Center, emphasized that urban agriculture is steadily becoming embedded in the city’s culture.

He highlighted the center’s role in providing technical and professional support to ensure scientific farming practices, which has significantly improved productivity in both crop and livestock production.

He added that efforts to strengthen and expand urban agriculture will continue in the years ahead.

Source: https://www.msn.com/

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Ships carrying critical agricultural inputs must start moving through the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible to ward off the risks of a dangerous spike in food price inflation later this year that could trigger a cascade of effects similar to the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

“The clock is ticking,” and crop calendars put poorer countries most at risk of scarce and pricey fertilizer and energy inputs, FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero said in a wide-ranging podcast published Monday with David Laborde, Director of FAO’s Agrifood Economics Division.

“The last thing we want is lower crop yields and higher commodity prices and food inflation for the next year,” Torero said, noting that would likely force countries to put policies in place to lower domestic food prices, triggering higher interest rates and as a result potential slower economic growth around the world.

The latest FAO Food Price Index covered the month of March and was relatively stable thanks to ample supplies of most food commodities, especially cereals. But pressure is rising in April and will intensify in May as “farmers will make decisions” on whether to switch planting choices to adapt to fertilizer availability as well as whether to allocate more land and resources to biofuels to benefit from higher oil prices but curtailing global food supplies.

“We are in an input crisis; we don’t want to make it a catastrophe,” said Laborde. “The difference depends on the actions we take.”

FAO urged all countries to closely ponder biofuel mandates and above all to avoid export restrictions on energy and fertilizers.

If the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz is not quickly ended, anticipatory actions should be considered, in particular asking multilateral institutions to provide financing to countries at risk of losing access to basic fertilizer inputs given their planting has started. The International Monetary Fund’s balance of payment facilities, and the Food Shock Window,  following the Food Import Financing Facility FAO’s suggested in 2022, could be used as an input-financing facility allowing countries that need fertilizers today to get them quickly without triggering distorting subsidy competitions, Torero said.

FAO has already developed a crop calendar-based prioritization of countries based on when and how much fertilizer they need.

“The risks are very clear,” Torero said. “If we don’t accelerate…, the risks will exacerbate.”

Key takeaways

Exports of between 20 and 45 percent of key agrifood inputs rely on sea passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

If farmers produce with fewer inputs, there will be lower yields later this year and in 2027, with higher food commodity prices and retail food inflation likely for the next few years.

Most farmers already face thin margins and if they are bankrupted the world food supply situation will be worse for longer.

Trade and export restrictions exacerbated food price spikes in past crises, as efforts to insulate domestic markets from world markets worsened global conditions.

Fertilizer and energy markets are inelastic, so prices can rise much more than changes in traded volume imply. Markets are likely to react very quickly if vessels do not move through the Strait soon.

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Unlike natural disasters or climate stressors such as El Niño, the Strait of Hormuz blockade “is something governments can resolve and have to resolve,” Torero said.

Farmers already face thin margins and if they are bankrupted the food supply situation will be worse for longer.

The risks today are notably greater than in 2022, and conditions are present for a “perfect storm” if the current situation is also affected by a strong El Niño rivaling or exceeding the pandemic crisis.

The 30-minute podcast can be accessed here.

Source: FAO

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The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa report, launched today at the first World Food Forum – Africa, held on the margins of the 34th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Africa, presents new findings and data on women’s labour, food security, nutrition, and wellbeing in agrifood systems across the region. The report also provides policy and investment recommendations to close gender gaps and level the playing field in food production, processing, distribution, and consumption.

Developed by FAO, the Natural Resources Institute of the University of Greenwich (NRI) and African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD), the report comes during the International Year of the Woman Farmer, an opportunity to galvanize global support for gender equality and women’s empowerment in agrifood systems.

“This International Year is more than a celebration. It is an invitation to do more, better, and more consistently for women who are sustaining agrifood systems and feeding the world – from their households to communities and entire continents. And this report provides the evidence and the roadmap of what needs to be done and how,” said Beth Bechdol, FAO Deputy Director-General at the launch.

Report highlights challenges faced by women in Africa’s agrifood sector

The report highlights significant challenges faced by women across the agrifood sector including limited access to and control over natural resources and greater probability than men of experiencing food insecurity. Women in the region also have limited access to social protection coverage, with only 13 percent of women receiving cash benefits and less than 7 percent being able to access pensions.

Nevertheless, women continue to navigate and overcome these obstacles through resilience, adaptability and innovation. This is done by diversifying their livelihoods, establishing community savings and credit associations, and implementing agroecological practices, among others.

“Women’s capacity to cope is often a response to structural failures rather than a choice, and it must not serve as a substitute for meaningful policy reform,” said Clara Park, FAO Senior Gender Officer and one of the authors of the report. “Our focus must shift from celebrating individual endurance to implementing the collective solutions that drive systemic change.”

Report calls for gender-just agrifood systems in sub-Saharan Africa

Based on the evidence, the report presents policy, programme and investment recommendations for more gender-just agrifood systems in sub-Saharan Africa. The proposed roadmap focuses on tackling the root causes of gender inequalities for lasting change. Specifically, it calls for the implementation of gender-transformative approaches to challenge discriminatory social norms, the scaling up of social protection for formal and informal workers, and the establishment of stronger legal frameworks to prevent and address gender-based violence across agrifood systems.

The report also highlights that closing the productivity and wage gaps in Africa could increase the regional GDP by 2.58 percent – USD 53 billion – and reduce food insecurity by 3.79 percent.

“Investing in women farmers is not a side conversation. It is central to ending hunger, to building climate resilience, and to creating a more just and inclusive Africa. If this International Year of the Woman Farmer is to mean anything, it must be the moment we move beyond words into action, into impact, and into transformation,” said chef and FAO Regional Goodwill Ambassador for Africa Fatmata Binta at the closure of the event.

Source:FAO

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