PRESS RELEASE: 2026 Women in Ag Summit will Support the International Year of the Woman Farmer

NEW ORLEANS, December 11, 2025 – Building upon its 15 years of experience empowering and celebrating women in the ag sector, Women in Agribusiness is supporting the observance of the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026 at its 2026 Women in Agribusiness (WIA) Summit, which will be held in New Orleans at the Hilton Riverside, September 22-24. 

The United Nations declared 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF 2026) to spotlight the essential roles women play across global agrifood systems, from production to processing and trade. IYWF 2026 intends to raise awareness and promote actions to close the gender gaps and improve women’s livelihoods worldwide to ensure food security, and nutrition and economic resilience. The Year also seeks to encourage policies and investments that empower women in agrifood systems, and to promote greater synergies among international initiatives supporting women farmers.

The IYWF 2026 has six main goals:

1. Increase public awareness of women’s role in farming;

2. Attain better awareness of land tenure issues and how they impact women farmers;

3. Enhance understanding of the financial needs and constraints of women farmers and ensure their access to financial services and markets;

4. Increase understanding of the technical needs and constraints of women farmers and ensure their access to technical support and education;

5. Support the development and implementation of policies and increase investments conducive to the empowerment of women in agrifood systems; and

6. Create synergies among international activities related to or impacting women farmers.

For WIA, collaborative efforts with the IYWF 2026 mission will include sharing the stories and successes of female farmers, and keeping the WIA audience informed of news, surveys and report details from the IYWF 2026 initiative, both throughout the year and at the 2026 Summit.

“As we embark on a milestone year as WIA turns 15, this supporting role with the International Year of the Woman Farmer is key to further elevating the efforts of women in ag that we have undertaken for years,” said Svitlana Synkovska, portfolio director for Women in Agribusiness. “Along with highlighting farmers in our annual Female Producer Panel, all eyes will be on those women who are leading the charge with boots on the ground on the farm, in the fields and on the ranches. We are delighted to join this global call to support women’s empowerment in agrifood systems.”

The 2026 WIA Summit promises to feature key industry speakers and topics – such as AI’s influence in agriculture, supply chain disruptions with new trade policies and administrative fluctuations, the latest in ag innovations, market updates on grains, the meat industry and much more. The 2025 conference in Orlando, Florida featured more than 55 expert speakers and 25 sessions with more than 700 attendees.

The 2026 Women in Agribusiness Summit will go back to its roots to where it was first held in 2012: New Orleans.

For more information, visit www.womeninag.com.

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About Women in Agribusiness

Women in Agribusiness, an Arc company, is the foremost organization dedicated to leading the growth in global female agribusiness leadership with a platform that encourages collaboration for innovation and development. Its renowned annual Women in Agribusiness Summit serves as a vital platform for women to network with professionals across the agriculture value chain, build business relationships, learn from esteemed thought leaders and stay informed on key commercial topics in agribusiness. Follow us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. www.womeninag.com.

About Arc

Arc is a B2B events, data and media platform, backed by investment funds managed by EagleTree Capital. Founded to redefine business networking, Arc organizes over 150 events a year and operates critical content platforms in HR, agriculture and food, financial services and investing, and education. Arc has over 350 talented colleagues located in the U.S., U.K., Netherlands and Singapore who focus on seeking out new ways to connect communities, wherever, whenever or however people need to come together to grow their businesses. For more information, visit www.arc-network.com or find Arc on LinkedIn.

PR CONTACT: Michelle Pelletier Marshall

Senior PR/Media Manager

Women in Agribusiness

+1.978.790.0565