United Nations: 2026 will be "International Year of the Woman Farmer"

Source: American Farm Bureau

The United Nations is recognizing 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, with hopes of spotlighting the contributions of women in agriculture and agribusiness. A recent USDA news release states, "women are responsible for roughly half of the world’s food production." The news release went on to say that 2026 will be "an unprecedented opportunity to underscore – and to address – the myriad social and economic challenges that women in agriculture face worldwide."

An eye-catching statistic: As of 2025, 36.3% of all U.S. agricultural producers are women, operating over 407 million acres and generating $222 billion in agricultural sales.

Lisa Wherry is a Pennsylvania farmer and member of the American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee. She says 2026 will be an important time to acknowledge the contributions of women in rural America.

"Some of the key goals and objectives are to recognize and empower, to address barriers, to promote gender equality, and support economic growth, and to enhance access with our education, markets, and other resources for women in the sector."

She indicates the American Farm Bureau Women’s Committee has a full slate of programming for the year ahead, including the upcoming ACE Summit (Advocate, Cultivate and Empower).

"We're going to do that in D.C. in June. Then that's going to roll right into the Women in Ag Survey, which will explore women's leadership and involvement, access to the industry, and identify barriers and opportunities, and provide actionable insights to strengthen engagement and support systems. But the big thing is about how women play a vital role in American agriculture.

She says the survey is open to all women, not just those who directly make an income from production agriculture.

"The survey is open to individuals 18 and older from the United States to Puerto Rico who have an interest or involvement in agriculture, and also those that work in production agriculture, agribusiness, education, advocacy, and related fields."