Women farmers as agents of change
The United Nations has dedicated 2026 to the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF). To mark it, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) has published Women farmers as agents of change, a brochure gathering stories of women who organise, speak up, connect, lead and drive change in agriculture. AgriCord contributed to its preparation.
The brochure was developed under GIZ's Global Programme Strengthening Farmers' Organisations for Sustainable Agricultural Development. Since 2015, on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the programme has supported farmers' organisations in several African countries.
GIZ implements the programme with four partners: Andreas Hermes Akademie (AHA), BBV-Landfrauen Internationale Zusammenarbeit (BBV-LIZ), dlv-LandFrauen gGmbH and AgriCord. AgriCord runs the programme in Kenya, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Madagascar, West and Central Africa under the name Farmers' Organisations for Food Systems (FOFS).
Five ways women shape agriculture
The 20-page brochure is built around five themes:
- Organise and build networks of change, with Nkonka Women in Agribusiness in Zambia and the Intercontinental Network of Organic Farmers' Organisations.
- Speak up, with the Women Farmers Association of Kenya.
- Connect across continents, with rural women's organisations in Uganda.
- Lead, with women taking up leadership roles in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mauritania, Eswatini and Namibia.
- Drive change, with women farmers in Madagascar.
AgriCord in Madagascar: Marie's story
The final chapter, on page 18, features AgriCord's work in Madagascar. Together with its members Afdi and Fert, AgriCord supports youth and women farmers from Réseau SOA and FIFATA, promoting agroecological approaches, good agricultural practices, demonstration plots on model farms and mentorship for young farmers developing their own projects.
The story follows Marie Harison Vololonirina, 27, who farms four hectares in the Bongolava region. She grows rice, maize and cassava and raises pigs and poultry. Through training and exchanges with other farmers, she has adopted organic fertilisation, improved soil management and biological pest control, which lowered her production costs and kept her farm productive despite droughts and pest outbreaks. She is now vice-president of her farmers' organisation, Nambinintsoa, where she organises activities and supports fellow members. In a context where women are rarely found in leadership positions, her role encourages other women and young farmers to take part in collective structures.
The brochure is available to read and download below.