Women Farmers share their innovative stories at UN Event

The World Farmers Organization (WFO) and Global Forum on Agricultural Research(GFAR) co-sponsored an event at the UN Commission on the Status of Women, giving voice to women farmers who came to speak about their experiences. They spoke about how much responsibility women farmers have; raising a family, running the household, and providing income as well.

Many studies have shown that women are more amendable to change and innovation than women. While many women lack the resources other than their own skills and labour, they continue to seek innovative solutions to the problems they are presented with.

Rose Akaki, a beef farmer from Uganda, told her story at the event. She diversified her family’s beef farm by becoming a beekeeper, and encouraged her neighbours to do the same. Together, they formed the Maruzi Beekeeping Association, which now markets their own brand of “Go Honey”.

Adela Nores, an Argentine rancher, used innovative seeding methods to improve her ranch’s pastures, and then its profitability.
Mildred Crawford, a Jamaican pig farmer, helped create the Jamaican Pig Farmer Association and the Jamaican Network of Rural Women Producers. The shared case studies of women farmers in Jamaica, as well as why she created these organizations.

GFAR has mobilized the Gender in Agriculture Partnership (GAP). This movement directly links 150 agencies worldwide to work towards empowering rural women around the world. This issue is important to all of us, and seeing action taken to address it is fantastic.