Four Smallholder Women Farmers at the Forefront of Agroecological Farming
Almost half of the world’s agricultural workers are women. In the Global South, women produce 60 to 80% of the food that sustains their communities—yet they own less than 20% of the land. Despite having limited access to resources and shouldering significant family responsibilities, these women continue to feed the world. They play a crucial role in restoring ecosystems, addressing climate change, and building food security from the ground up. As they nurture land and life, there is much we can learn from their unique journeys.
Today, we’re honored to share the stories of four remarkable women farmers who, through their commitment to agroecology, are transforming their communities and spreading change across entire villages in the Global South.
Pobaadou, Burkina Faso: a woman farmer regenerating land in Burkina Faso amid climate change, violence and poverty
Close to 80% of the people in Burkina Faso rely on farming. Farmers here deal with extreme weather, like prolonged droughts and heavy rain, worsened by climate change. Soil degradation, terrorism, and water scarcity have significantly hindered crop productivity, leaving rural communities vulnerable to food insecurity. Food insecurity has in fact increased by a staggering 532% since 2014.
Despite these challenges, women like Pobaadou are spreading vital regenerative farming practices to support their communities. After attending agroecology training sessions with our local partner, Association Nourrir Sans Détruire, Pobaadou started a women’s farming group. She brought together 43 women to create a communal vegetable farm in their village.
Together, they introduced regenerative farming techniques like composting and crop rotation, improving soil fertility. Pobaadou now grows enough nutritious food to feed her family, and sells surplus vegetables at local markets, earning more than double the average local income. This extra income enables her to better support her family, reducing their reliance on external aid.
Pobaadou has become a community mentor, teaching other women the value of agroecological farming and the impact it can have on their well-being. Her story shows how blending traditional farming knowledge with collective action can help communities achieve ecological and economic resilience, especially in crisis-affected regions like Burkina Faso.
Guatemala: women farmers promoting food sovereignty through indigenous knowledge
Guatemala’s farming landscape is deeply rooted in indigenous knowledge. Communities have been working the land for generations, constantly evolving with nature’s ebbs and flows. Indigenous farmers have developed invaluable techniques for regenerating soil, preserving biodiversity, and ensuring sustainable food production that nourishes both their communities and the land itself.
However, rural areas in Guatemala face high levels of poverty and limited access to land. Climate change in the Dry Corridor further threatens these communities with unpredictable weather patterns and severe droughts.
In response, women farmers like Eva and Angélica are passing on Indigenous knowledge, promoting regenerative farming and environmental stewardship in their communities.
Eva is a woman farmer from the small village of Pahoj in the Dry Corridor of Guatemala. She joined our partner organization, Qachuu Aloom, to deepen her understanding of agroecological farming and healthy nutrition. She then established a vegetable garden with cilantro, chard, amaranth, and other native and medicinal plants. This agroecological garden is a lifeline for her family, creating a sustainable source of food and seeds to sell locally.
Eva later became a “Madre Guía” (Mother Guide), teaching agroecological farming to other farmers, and advocating for women’s right to access land and resources.
Eva is a respected leader in her community, and many turn to her for guidance and wisdom. She proudly shares,“Becoming a Madre Guía is a great opportunity for me since I am enriching my knowledge, which I value and respect. My voice and the voices of other women are heard.”
Angélica is another remarkable woman in Guatemala. Serving as a community promoter for Qachuu Aloom, Angélica works alongside 32 families, sharing her knowledge of sustainable farming practices and the importance of consuming locally grown, organic food.
Angélica teaches families how to create compost, make natural repellents, and cultivate gardens that reduce reliance on chemical inputs. During these trainings, she shares that “even the children join in learning and working on the land.” Her work extends to schools, where she works on projects to replace processed foods with nutritious, local meals for children. This work is crucial for her, as it helps young people understand the value of “healthy food prepared by familiar hands, those of the women in [their] communities.”
Through her daily work, Angélica is laying the foundation for a community that values food grown close to home. She dreams of expanding her garden and passing on her knowledge to her children, ensuring a future where healthy food systems are rooted in tradition and culture.
Angélica reflects: “The most rewarding part of my work is teaching people how to cultivate Mother Earth and how to consume the food we produce. (…) My greatest achievement in all of this is working with my community, supporting each other, and celebrating our successes together. The role of women in this universe is fundamental, as we are the ones in charge of growing and preparing the food that nourishes our families with effort and love.“
Combining farming with Indigenous knowledge can strengthen food security and reaffirm women’s voices in agriculture. Indigenous women are central to preserving this knowledge and passing it down through generations.
The role of women in this universe is fundamental, as we are the ones in charge of growing and preparing the food that nourishes our families with effort and love.”
Angélica, a woman farmer in Guatemala
Nepal: smallholder women farmers building economic resilience through organic farming and savings groups
In Nepal’s Sarlahi District, agriculture remains central to livelihoods. Agriculture employs nearly two-thirds of Nepal’s population. However, farmers face immense challenges such as soil erosion, lack of irrigation infrastructure and access to resources. Climate change has increased crop failure and land degradation, especially with the recent deadly flooding in Nepal.
Ms. Basanti lives in a small village in Sarlahi. She saw firsthand the economic and environmental strain caused by chemical-dependent farming and high-interest loans on women farmers. The community’s heavy reliance on conventional farming strained their finances and posed several environmental and health risks.
To break this cycle, Ms. Basanti joined a women’s savings group with the Rural Women Upliftment Association (RWUA). Her participation in the Women’s Progress Saving Group was a turning point. Through training in organic farming, nursery management, and other regenerative farming techniques, she and her group transitioned from chemical fertilizers to sustainable farming methods. Their shift to organic farming has had widespread positive effects. The community now enjoys fresher vegetables, improved soil fertility, and better livestock feed. The nutritional status of families has improved, and many more have ventured into commercial vegetable farming, following Ms. Basanti’s lead.
Ms. Basanti’s family now earns a net income of over $2,600 from their small farm and livestock. This increased income contributes to the household economy and reduces their dependency on high-interest loans. “Joining the group has built great trust among us,” says Ms. Basanti. “We shouldn’t rely on our husbands for economic resources; we can earn money through entrepreneurship.”
Under her leadership, the savings group now serves as a foundation for resilience in the community. The group’s activities provide many families access to fresh vegetables, improved soil health, and financial independence.
A shared path forward
Pobaadou, Eva, Angélica, and Ms. Basanti come from distinct cultures and backgrounds. Yet, they each share a deep commitment to their communities and the land they cultivate. Through agroecology, these women are transforming their villages, regenerating the soil, and building resilience.
In a world where industrial agriculture and climate change threaten rural communities, these women remind us that solutions grounded in local knowledge, sustainable practices, and community solidarity give hope for a fairer, healthier future.
Invest in women farmers to spread real solutions
Your gift will directly impact women farmers in the Global South and strengthen their capacity to build regenerative and equitable food and farming systems. As Gandhi once said, “if you educate a man you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate an entire family.” By supporting one woman, you’re uplifting entire communities!