Washington D.C., May 9, 2023. During the AIM for Climate Summit, the panel on how innovation can generate an impact but with gender inclusion: putting women at the heart of food systems investment took place.
The panel was co-organized by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrifood of Canada (AAFC), and the Gender, Climate Change and Nutrition Integration Project (GCAN).
This panel was moderated by the President and CEO of the United Nations Foundation, Elizabeth Cousens; and intervened by Emily Rees, President and CEO of “CropLife International”; Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agrifood of Canada (AAFC); Laura Suazo, Secretary of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras; Isobel Coleman, Deputy Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID); Dr. Claudia Sadoff, CGIAR Executive Managing Director; Kevin Perkins, Executive Director of “Farm Radio International”; Hellen Keti, Chairperson of “Abossi Top Hill” Cooperative Society; Dr. Bob Reiter, Head of Research & Development (R+D), Crop Science, Bayer, and Eugenia Saini, FONTAGRO’s Executive Secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean.
The audience included delegations of at least 37 countries, 27 of which were represented by their Ministers, private sector partners, research organizations, and implementing partners who focused on climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation.
The commitment of AIM for Climate and government partners to accelerate investments and research in climate-smart agriculture is of utmost importance to protect the global food system from climate change. However, to date, most climate change policies, investments, and interventions do not adequately integrate gender and some risk exacerbating gender inequalities.
Achieving the goal of more climate-resilient and just food systems requires addressing gender inequalities in food systems and elevating women’s agency and leadership in responding to the climate crisis.
This event, hosted by the Gender, Climate Change and Nutrition Integration Initiative (GCAN) of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Ministry of Agriculture and Agri-Food of Canada made the case for the reasons why we need to integrate gender into the global response to climate change, particularly in low- and middle-income countries facing food security and nutrition challenges.
Dr. Eugenia Saini, FONTAGRO’s Executive Secretary, participated in the panel. On that subject, Eugenia Saini pointed out that in the case of FONTAGRO, since the beginning of her management in 2018, the participation of women in the leadership of FONTAGRO projects has grown from 10 % to 35 %, and she added that they are still working to increase this percentage. Among the main actions that FONTAGRO carries out we can mention empowering women to lead the innovation sprints from their initial design, and throughout the execution of the projects. For that purpose, and with the support of FONTAGRO Board of Directors, it was possible to organize virtual training in order to encourage the adoption of knowledge and tools necessary to lead such initiatives. Moreover, in every project co-financed by FONTAGRO and its strategic partners, it is sought not only to promote gender equity among participants, but also to support the participation of students, young scientists, and farmers. We pay special attention to ensuring that every regional project we co-finance is an opportunity to promote the work of women researchers, both those who are just starting out and those who are more experienced in their careers, while we seek to strengthen inter- and multidisciplinary and gender-inclusive work teams.
Eugenia Saini highlighted that FONTAGRO and the Government of New Zealand, through the Ministry for Primary Industries, and the Global Research Alliance initiated the design of an initiative on Climate-Smart Agriculture in indigenous Mapuche communities in Argentina and Chile, where the farmers are mainly women. She also added that it is key to further promote gender in science in the region. “International organizations that finance research and development can be requested to include a strategy for gender equality. Designing an internship program to learn about the way organizations work and generating a community of practices that facilitates cooperation in the future is important as well. Additionally, Eugenia Saini emphasized that including special training in finance and financial mechanisms to support initiatives led by women is crucial.“
FONTAGRO currently has several initiatives led by women scientists and technicians from the region. Some of these initiatives are as follows: “Regional alliances for the dissemination of iron-rich beans in Latin American countries” which is led by Maika Barria, from the Agricultural Research Institute of Panama (IDIAP); in Uruguay, “Opportunities for carbon sequestration in Latin America and the Caribbean soils” led by Verónica Ciganda; in Chile, “More productive and sustainable rice for Latin America” led by Karla Ivonne Cordero Lara. In Argentina, the project “Agroecological model for avian coccidiosis” is led by Anabel Elisa Rodríguez. In Colombia, “Prevention and management of wilt by Musaceae Fusarium” led by Monica Betancourt Vasquez, among many others.
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About FONTAGRO
FONTAGRO was created 1998 with the purpose of promoting the increase of the competitiveness of the agri-food sector, ensuring the sustainable management of natural resources and the reduction of poverty in the region. The objective of FONTAGRO is to establish itself as a sustainable financing mechanism for the development of agricultural technology and innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean and Spain, and to establish a forum for the discussion of priority topics of technological innovation. The member countries are: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Spain, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela. In the last 21 years 167 regional agricultural innovation platforms have been co-financed for an amount of US $ 124 million, which has reached 452 institutions and 33 countries worldwide.