International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026
Around the world, women farmers are growing food, managing farms and adapting to changing conditions. But their priorities are not the same everywhere. Through Farmer Wants…, we are sharing stories from women farmers around the world and looking at the role that seeds, knowledge, innovation and partnerships can play in helping them meet their goals.
Farmer Wants More Knowledge
Saada Mkuyu — Tanzania
Saada is a cassava seed entrepreneur who has expanded her farm and now produces improved cassava planting material for farmers in her community. Through the Muhogo Bora project, she has access to training and resources that support her seed business.
Read Saada’s story: https://iita.org/news-item/cassava-seed-business-changes-women-farmers-lives-in-tanzania/
Farmer Wants Decision-Making Power
Elizabeth Nsimadala — Uganda
Elizabeth is a lifelong smallholder farmer and president of the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation. She sees access to quality seeds and reliable information as what let her move from working the land to making the decisions that run a farming business — one that now feeds her family and her community.
Read Elizabeth’s story: https://podcasts.apple.com/ch/podcast/increasing-seed-access/id1755707344?i=1000664094165&l=en-GB
Farmer Wants Better Nutrition
Anita Dadaba — Ghana
Anita runs a backyard garden in Ghana growing orange-fleshed sweet potato and other nutrient-rich crops. Through the GROWING project, led by the International Potato Center (CIP) and CGIAR, she gained training that improved her family’s nutrition and income, and now leads dialogues in her community on sharing household work.
Read Anita’s story: https://cipotato.org/blog/empowering-change-inspiring-journey-anita-dadaba-nambiri-zongo/
Farmer Wants Climate Resilience
Madhya Pradesh & Odisha, India
For tribal women farmers in these regions, degrading soil health and water stress put yields at risk. Through the Healthy Soils, Prosperous Farmers initiative, led by BASF Nunhems, over 8,000 farmers are adopting drip irrigation, mulching and intercropping to restore their land while securing their harvests.
Read more: https://agriculture.basf.com/dam/jcr:a74799c2-db0f-4f64-b178-f5ee9380a806/basf/agriculture/global/assets/en/Sustainability/Healthy-Soils–Prosperous-Farmers-factsheet-2025.pdf
Farmer Wants More Quality Seeds
Tran Phuong Thao — Vietnam
Tran Phuong Thao turned an unproductive shrimp farm into a vineyard growing grapes, cherry tomatoes and sweet peppers. With technical guidance and suitable vegetable varieties from Rijk Zwaan Vietnam, she found a way to manage saline, acidic soil and build a stable source of income for her family.
Read Tran Phuong Thao’s story: https://vnexpress.net/bien-dat-phen-man-thanh-vuon-nho-ca-chua-tien-ty-5067587.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawSu92RleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFQeEdWaUNUSDI0TU0zd3Y5c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHlB-R5ksbbODjuXZMYniFA5m0rF7YwUWXK2KU0VhIUosad93AIGvByJGrisH_aem_gAxsHsvDXEAbhHZBSyQIoQ
Farmer Wants More Innovation
Yeny Campos — Chile
Yeny grows raspberries in Chile’s Araucanía region. Protected “Santa” raspberry varieties gave her crops more resilience and a longer shelf life, letting her build Lidia Berries, a company that now employs 60 women in her community.
Read Yeny’s story: https://www.upov.int/en/w/stories/growing-change-how-new-raspberry-varieties-transformed-a-chilean-small-farmer-s-future
About the campaign Farmer Wants…
Launched for the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026, designated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Farmer Wants… campaign puts women farmers at the center of the conversation. From access to suitable seeds and knowledge to innovation, partnerships and sustainable choices, the campaign explores what women farmers want and need in different farming contexts — and how the seed sector can contribute.
Know a woman farmer whose story should be heard? We’d like to hear from you. Share her story with us.
#IYWF2026 #SeedIsLife
