FAO to mobilise US$ 8.15 million for the empowerment of rural women in Latin America and the Caribbean

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) announced the launch of two projects to address the crucial challenges of climate change, food security, and gender equality in Latin America and the Caribbean for a total of US$ 8.15 million. The announcement was made in commemoration of International Women's Day.

The first project, called "Program to Accelerate the Empowerment of Rural Women and Environmental Sustainability," aims to maximise the potential of rural women producers in the region for economic growth, biodiversity conservation, and ecosystem restoration through work in Honduras, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic. The initiative seeks to reduce gender inequalities and promote inclusive development by implementing gender-transformative programs, developing standards and tools for sustainable production practices, and promoting best practices.

The second project, "Climate-Smart Agriculture and Gender-Responsive Food Systems in the Caribbean," focuses on optimising climate-smart agriculture and food systems with a gender perspective, aiming to increase the adoption of innovative technologies and sustainable practices among actors in agricultural value chains to make them more resilient to climate change and improve their adaptive capacity for inclusive and gender-responsive disaster management.

"With a focus on innovation, inclusion, and resilience, we seek to support the empowerment of thousands of rural women, integrating their voices and contributions in mitigating climate change and achieving food security. These initiatives represent a model of collaboration and participation essential to achieving sustainable development," said FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, Mario Lubetkin.

FAO expects these projects to transform rural women's economic and social empowerment, inclusive development in rural areas, the adoption of innovative technologies, and increasing environmental sustainability and resilience to climate change. This enables the region to move towards agrifood systems with better production, better nutrition, better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.

Both projects represent a significant commitment by FAO to address gender inequalities and contribute to the sustainable development of rural communities in Latin America and the Caribbean.

With these initiatives, FAO reaffirms its dedication to improving rural women's and their families' lives, ensuring a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable future for all.

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This update was first published by FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean.