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BULLETIN 1
FAO launches International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026 to accelerate gender equality and women’s empowerment in agrifood systems
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Figure: IYWF 2026 will raise awareness and promote actions to close the gender gaps and improve women’s livelihoods worldwide.©FAO/Sebastian Liste
FAO 05/12/2025
Rome – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) yesterday launched The International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026, a global campaign aimed at recognizing women’s indispensable yet often overlooked contributions to global agrifood systems and to galvanize efforts to close persistent gender gaps.
Designated by the UN General Assembly in 2024, the International Year aims to spotlight the realities faced by women farmers and drive policy reforms and investment to advance gender equality, empower women, and build more resilient agrifood systems. FAO, together with the other Rome-based UN agencies – the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) - will coordinate activities throughout 2026.
Women make up a significant share of the world’s agricultural workforce and are indispensable across agrifood value chains — from production and processing to distribution and trade — playing a central role in household food security and nutrition. In 2021 agrifood systems employed 40 percent of working women globally - nearly equal to men.
Despite this, women’s contributions remain undervalued and their working conditions are often more precarious: irregular, informal, part-time, low-paid, labour-intensive, and highly vulnerable. They continue to face systemic barriers, including limited access to land, finance, technologies, education, extension services, and participation in decision-making at all levels.
The Year was officially launched at a ceremony held on the sidelines of the 179th Session of the FAO Council. Opening remarks were delivered by FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero, who warned that progress on women’s empowerment in agrifood systems has stalled over the past decade.
“The cost of inaction is enormous. We know from recent estimates that closing the gaps between men and women in agriculture could raise global GDP by one trillion dollars and reduce food insecurity for 45 million people,” he said.
He stressed that the observance goes far beyond celebration, calling for “bringing policy attention to the multidimensional challenges they (women farmers) face, and promoting legal reforms and policy and programmatic action that allow women to have equal land rights, equal access to finance, to technology, to extension services, to markets, and to decision-making.”
The event was co-organized by Jordan and Ireland, represented respectively by FAO Regional Goodwill Ambassador for the Near East and North Africa Princess Basma bint Ali and Maria Dunne, Assistant Secretary-General at Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
In her closing remarks, FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol emphasized that the needs of women farmers must remain a priority well beyond 2026.
“Throughout 2026, the International Year will move from today’s sharing of personal stories and discussions to practical work — national policies, community partnerships, research, investment, and dialogue between farmers, cooperatives, governments, finance institutions, youth networks, and universities. The goal is simple: turn commitment into practice, and practice into measurable impact,” she said.
Designated by the UN General Assembly in 2024, the International Year aims to spotlight the realities faced by women farmers and drive policy reforms and investment to advance gender equality, empower women, and build more resilient agrifood systems. FAO, together with the other Rome-based UN agencies – the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) - will coordinate activities throughout 2026.
Women make up a significant share of the world’s agricultural workforce and are indispensable across agrifood value chains — from production and processing to distribution and trade — playing a central role in household food security and nutrition. In 2021 agrifood systems employed 40 percent of working women globally - nearly equal to men.
Despite this, women’s contributions remain undervalued and their working conditions are often more precarious: irregular, informal, part-time, low-paid, labour-intensive, and highly vulnerable. They continue to face systemic barriers, including limited access to land, finance, technologies, education, extension services, and participation in decision-making at all levels.
The Year was officially launched at a ceremony held on the sidelines of the 179th Session of the FAO Council. Opening remarks were delivered by FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero, who warned that progress on women’s empowerment in agrifood systems has stalled over the past decade.
“The cost of inaction is enormous. We know from recent estimates that closing the gaps between men and women in agriculture could raise global GDP by one trillion dollars and reduce food insecurity for 45 million people,” he said.
He stressed that the observance goes far beyond celebration, calling for “bringing policy attention to the multidimensional challenges they (women farmers) face, and promoting legal reforms and policy and programmatic action that allow women to have equal land rights, equal access to finance, to technology, to extension services, to markets, and to decision-making.”
The event was co-organized by Jordan and Ireland, represented respectively by FAO Regional Goodwill Ambassador for the Near East and North Africa Princess Basma bint Ali and Maria Dunne, Assistant Secretary-General at Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
In her closing remarks, FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol emphasized that the needs of women farmers must remain a priority well beyond 2026.
“Throughout 2026, the International Year will move from today’s sharing of personal stories and discussions to practical work — national policies, community partnerships, research, investment, and dialogue between farmers, cooperatives, governments, finance institutions, youth networks, and universities. The goal is simple: turn commitment into practice, and practice into measurable impact,” she said.
Who Is a Woman Farmer?
Women farmers work in diverse roles across agrifood systems and come from all backgrounds: young and older women, Indigenous women, women in local communities, women with disabilities, and refugee and displaced women. They are smallholder producers, peasants, agricultural laborers, fishers and fish workers, beekeepers, pastoralists, processors, traders, women in agricultural sciences, rural entrepreneurs, traditional knowledge holders, and more—whether in formal or informal work, with or without land ownership.
Recent FAO reports - The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems and The Unjust Climate – underscore the scale of gender inequality and the disproportionate climate risks faced by women. Together, the reports highlight the structural barriers limiting women’s productivity, income, access to resources, and resilience.
Key findings include:
• Women farmers typically work on smaller plots of land than men. Even when they manage farms of the same size, the gender gap in land productivity is 24 percent.
• Each day of extreme high temperatures reduces the total value of crops produced by women farmers by three percent relative to men.
• A 1° C increase in long-term average temperatures is associated with a 34 percent reduction in the total incomes of female-headed households, relative to those of male-headed households.
• Women engaged in wage employment in agrifood systems earn 78 cents for every dollar that men earn.
• The unpaid care work performed by women and girls contributes at least $ 10.8 trillion to the global economy annually.
• Reducing gender disparities in employment, education, and income could eliminate 52 percent of the food insecurity gap which is consistently higher among women.
• Empowering rural women through targeted development interventions could raise incomes for 58 million more people and boost resilience for 235 million.
Women farmers work in diverse roles across agrifood systems and come from all backgrounds: young and older women, Indigenous women, women in local communities, women with disabilities, and refugee and displaced women. They are smallholder producers, peasants, agricultural laborers, fishers and fish workers, beekeepers, pastoralists, processors, traders, women in agricultural sciences, rural entrepreneurs, traditional knowledge holders, and more—whether in formal or informal work, with or without land ownership.
Recent FAO reports - The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems and The Unjust Climate – underscore the scale of gender inequality and the disproportionate climate risks faced by women. Together, the reports highlight the structural barriers limiting women’s productivity, income, access to resources, and resilience.
Key findings include:
• Women farmers typically work on smaller plots of land than men. Even when they manage farms of the same size, the gender gap in land productivity is 24 percent.
• Each day of extreme high temperatures reduces the total value of crops produced by women farmers by three percent relative to men.
• A 1° C increase in long-term average temperatures is associated with a 34 percent reduction in the total incomes of female-headed households, relative to those of male-headed households.
• Women engaged in wage employment in agrifood systems earn 78 cents for every dollar that men earn.
• The unpaid care work performed by women and girls contributes at least $ 10.8 trillion to the global economy annually.
• Reducing gender disparities in employment, education, and income could eliminate 52 percent of the food insecurity gap which is consistently higher among women.
• Empowering rural women through targeted development interventions could raise incomes for 58 million more people and boost resilience for 235 million.
BULLETIN 2
Nigerian Daily Newspapers Shape Discussions on GM Maize
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January 14, 2026
A new study analyzed the content of 111 Nigerian daily newspaper articles published from January to September 2024 in three widely read Nigerian dailies. The researchers assessed the issues covered, how stories were framed, the sources cited, and where articles were placed in the newspapers amid the public discussion about the possible adoption of genetically modified (GM) maize in the country.
The study showed that the coverage is largely centered on health impacts, environmental implications, public opinion, economic concerns, and scientific research, with health and environmental issues receiving the most attention. The findings show that the reporting relied mainly on newspaper correspondents and government officials, with limited input from universities and research institutions.
The study concludes that Nigerian newspapers play an active role in the biotechnology debate. However, the researchers noted that there is a need to present a more balanced reporting of biotech. They recommend greater engagement with academic and research experts to improve the accuracy, depth, and scientific grounding of future media coverage on GM crops.
For more information, read the abstract from Circularity Letters.
See https://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=21659
The study showed that the coverage is largely centered on health impacts, environmental implications, public opinion, economic concerns, and scientific research, with health and environmental issues receiving the most attention. The findings show that the reporting relied mainly on newspaper correspondents and government officials, with limited input from universities and research institutions.
The study concludes that Nigerian newspapers play an active role in the biotechnology debate. However, the researchers noted that there is a need to present a more balanced reporting of biotech. They recommend greater engagement with academic and research experts to improve the accuracy, depth, and scientific grounding of future media coverage on GM crops.
For more information, read the abstract from Circularity Letters.
See https://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=21659
SCIENTIFIC NEWS
Pathogen-inspired engineering of plant protease enhances late blight resistance
Jie Huang, Alice Penrose, Laura Ossorio Carballo, and Renier A. L. van der Hoorn
PNAS; January 9 2026; 123 (2) e2524700123; https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2524700123
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Significance
Genetic engineering to produce crops that are pathogen resistant is an important strategy for world food security. Here, we engineered tomato-secreted immune protease C14 to become less sensitive to inhibition by cystatin-like inhibitor extracellular protease inhibitors of cysteine proteases (EpiCs) secreted by the oomycete late blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans, and demonstrated that this engineered C14 (eC14) provides increased immunity. Importantly, this engineering was inspired by our identification of two proteases (Pain1 and Pain2) secreted by P. infestans that contribute to virulence and have reduced sensitivity to EpiCs inhibition. Thus, a pathogen avoiding self-inhibition can inspire crop engineering.
Genetic engineering to produce crops that are pathogen resistant is an important strategy for world food security. Here, we engineered tomato-secreted immune protease C14 to become less sensitive to inhibition by cystatin-like inhibitor extracellular protease inhibitors of cysteine proteases (EpiCs) secreted by the oomycete late blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans, and demonstrated that this engineered C14 (eC14) provides increased immunity. Importantly, this engineering was inspired by our identification of two proteases (Pain1 and Pain2) secreted by P. infestans that contribute to virulence and have reduced sensitivity to EpiCs inhibition. Thus, a pathogen avoiding self-inhibition can inspire crop engineering.
Abstract
The apoplast is an important battlefield in plant–pathogen interactions. The late blight oomycete pathogen Phytophthora infestans, for instance, secretes cystatin-like protease inhibitors EpiC1 and EpiC2B to suppress C14, a papain-like immune protease secreted by tomato. Here, we found that P. infestans also secretes two distinct papain-like proteases termed Pain1 and Pain2, which are transcriptionally induced during infection. Both Pains promote P. infestans infection, but not when their catalytic residues are mutated. Strikingly, EpiC1 and EpiC2B preferentially inhibit tomato C14 rather than self-produced Pains, suggesting that they coevolved with Pains to avoid self-inhibition. To mimic the avoidance of inhibition by EpiCs, we engineered C14 (eC14) with seven Pain1 residues that potentially disturb the EpiCs–C14 interface. This eC14 is less sensitive to inhibition by EpiCs and enhances resistance to P. infestans infection. This strategy demonstrates that a pathogen-inspired protein engineering approach can increase crop resistance to plant pathogens.
See https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2524700123
The apoplast is an important battlefield in plant–pathogen interactions. The late blight oomycete pathogen Phytophthora infestans, for instance, secretes cystatin-like protease inhibitors EpiC1 and EpiC2B to suppress C14, a papain-like immune protease secreted by tomato. Here, we found that P. infestans also secretes two distinct papain-like proteases termed Pain1 and Pain2, which are transcriptionally induced during infection. Both Pains promote P. infestans infection, but not when their catalytic residues are mutated. Strikingly, EpiC1 and EpiC2B preferentially inhibit tomato C14 rather than self-produced Pains, suggesting that they coevolved with Pains to avoid self-inhibition. To mimic the avoidance of inhibition by EpiCs, we engineered C14 (eC14) with seven Pain1 residues that potentially disturb the EpiCs–C14 interface. This eC14 is less sensitive to inhibition by EpiCs and enhances resistance to P. infestans infection. This strategy demonstrates that a pathogen-inspired protein engineering approach can increase crop resistance to plant pathogens.
See https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2524700123
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Figure:
Pain1 and Pain2 are induced and secreted during infection. (A) Gene expression profiles of 20 putative PLCPs of P. infestans. Ten PLCPs contain predicted signal peptides (asterisks), and four (red squares) have been detected in the P. infestans secretome (24). Gene expression data of 20 PLCPs are provided in SI Appendix, Table S5. (B) Domain architecture of Pain1 and Pain2. Both proteins contain a signal peptide, a prodomain, and a C1A protease domain. In addition, Pain2 possesses a C-terminal ML domain. (C) Phylogenetic analysis of Pains orthologs across Phytophthora species based on full-length protein sequences. Homologous sequences were identified in P. cactorum, P. nicotianae, P. capsici, P. lilii, P. ramorum, P. sojae, and P. cinnamomi. The secreted PLCP PITG_03414 from P. infestans was included as an outgroup. Sequences are provided in Dataset S2. (D) Sequence alignment of the protease domains of Pain1 with Papain (Top) and Pain2 (Bottom). Conserved catalytic residues are highlighted with red arrows and boxes.
Pain1 and Pain2 are induced and secreted during infection. (A) Gene expression profiles of 20 putative PLCPs of P. infestans. Ten PLCPs contain predicted signal peptides (asterisks), and four (red squares) have been detected in the P. infestans secretome (24). Gene expression data of 20 PLCPs are provided in SI Appendix, Table S5. (B) Domain architecture of Pain1 and Pain2. Both proteins contain a signal peptide, a prodomain, and a C1A protease domain. In addition, Pain2 possesses a C-terminal ML domain. (C) Phylogenetic analysis of Pains orthologs across Phytophthora species based on full-length protein sequences. Homologous sequences were identified in P. cactorum, P. nicotianae, P. capsici, P. lilii, P. ramorum, P. sojae, and P. cinnamomi. The secreted PLCP PITG_03414 from P. infestans was included as an outgroup. Sequences are provided in Dataset S2. (D) Sequence alignment of the protease domains of Pain1 with Papain (Top) and Pain2 (Bottom). Conserved catalytic residues are highlighted with red arrows and boxes.
