Commit to Grow Equality: Forging Partnerships and Enhancing Investments in Agrifood Systems during the International Year of the Woman Farmer

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to welcome you this morning.

Today marks two years since FAO launched the Commit to Grow Equality initiative with a simple conviction: to sustainably feed the world nutritious food now and for generations to come, agrifood systems must work better with women for women.

A year ago, we gathered in this very room to reflect upon the persistent challenges to reduce the inequality gap between men and women affecting the champions of the very agrifood systems that nourish our communities.

Today, as the world observes the International Year of the Woman Farmer, our message is far more urgent, but our opportunity is also greater. To break this cycle by which women-central figures for global food security- continue to face systemic disadvantages to fully participating in our agrifood systems.

Heeding the call to action launched by this International Year is beyond a rights issue, it is a sound approach from an economic point of view.

Bridging the divide between men and women is one of the smartest investments n agrifood systems and one of the most cost-effective pathways to reduce hunger, improve nutrition, raise incomes and boost resilience.

For instance, FAO data shows that closing gaps in productivity and wages in agrifood systems could increase global gross domestic product by USD 1 trillion, reduce global food insecurity by about 2 percentage points, decreasing the number of food-insecure people by 45 million. 

The Year shines a light on women's leadership, resilience and innovation. It challenges us to ensure that this recognition translates into real investment and accelerated, tangible action to dismantle the obstacles that continue to hold women back.

Let the Year be the moment for a global shift, to move from a rallying cry to real investment in the women who sustain and form the backbone of our agrifood systems.

Moreover, the International Year of the Women Farmer is more than a 365 day engagement. It is a movement, sparked by our actions in 2026 that transform into the commitment of a generation to materialize change.

In this spirit, we will listen to the efforts already undertaken by CGE partners whose commitments are already yielding clear returns on investment and aim to inspire other actors to join CGE to come on board.

We are deeply grateful to Ireland and the Gates Foundation for their strong support to CGE, and to the Rockefeller Foundation for generously hosting us again in this beautiful space.

I encourage you all to translate today's momentum into concrete commitments by joining the CGE initiative and realizing our joint ambition of transforming agrifood systems to work better with women for women.

Thank you for joining us here and for working with us to make it happen.