USDA preparing for 2026 International Year of the Woman Farmer

The USDA is releasing how it plans to celebrate international women farmers.

The United Nations has designated 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer. The designation recognizes the critical role women play in global food production, according to a recent USDA article.

In the article, the USDA revealed that women are responsible for approximately half of the world’s food production. The initiative aims to highlight their contributions and address the social and economic challenges they face.

The initiative’s goals include:

• Increasing public awareness of women’s role in farming
• Attaining better awareness of land tenure issues and how they impact female farmers
• Improve understanding of the women farmers’ financial needs and constraints and ensure access to credit and markets
• Increasing understanding of the women farmers’ technical needs and constraints and ensure access to technical support and education
• Support development of policies conducive to the female farmer empowerment

USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small and Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis Taylor hosted an event at the USDA’s Whitten Patio. The gathering brought more than 200 partners and stakeholders in person and 800 online. The event marked the beginning of preparations for the 2026 observance.

“We’re so proud of USDA’s role in leading U.S. government efforts to introduce and generate support for the resolution,” Taylor said in the article. “This marked the first time in history that the United States was the lead sponsor of an ‘International Year’ at the UN.”

The event featured a panel discussion led by Taylor that included insights from Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur and Lauren Phillips from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas Greenfield also delivered a video address, emphasizing the importance of collaborative efforts to close the gender gap in agriculture.

“The International Year of the Woman Farmer offers governments, civil society, the private sector and other stakeholders the opportunity to better understand the challenges women face,” Thomas-Greenfield said in the article. “Together, let’s amplify the voices of women farmers and ensure access to credit markets, education and technology.”

The USDA encourages people to join their efforts in supporting women in agriculture. For more information, visit USDA’s International Year of the Woman Farmer.