Regional Policy Conference on Innovation for Women Entrepreneurs in Agri-Food
28–29 October 2026, Tunis, Tunisia
The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the CIHEAM, in partnership with FAO and PRIMA, and with the financial support of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), will organize the Regional Capacity Building Workshop and Policy Conference on Innovation for Women Entrepreneurs in Agri-Food on 28–29 October 2026 in Tunis, Tunisia.
This regional initiative builds on the long-standing commitment of CIHEAM and its Institutes to advancing gender equality, women's economic empowerment and inclusive rural and agri-food development across the Mediterranean. It also follows a regional process launched at the CIHEAM Zaragoza Symposium in June 2025 and further developed through the UfM-led Regional Task Force on Innovation for Women Entrepreneurs in Agro-Food Systems.
Women play a critical role throughout agri-food value chains as entrepreneurs, producers, innovators and leaders. However, they continue to face barriers in accessing finance, technology, markets, innovation ecosystems and policy support. Addressing these challenges is essential to fostering more inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems.
The event will bring together policymakers, representatives of national institutions, international organizations, financial institutions, private-sector actors, civil society organizations and women entrepreneurs from across the region. The Policy Conference will serve as the official validation and launch of the UfM Regional Agenda on Innovation for Women Entrepreneurs in Agro-Food (2026–2030), developed through a multi-stakeholder regional process led by the Regional Task Force, of which CIHEAM is a core partner. The CIHEAM will contribute to the Conference by mobilising expertise, knowledge and experiences from across its Institutes and by contributing to the policy dialogue and regional cooperation discussions.
The outcomes and recommendations of the Tunis Conference will also feed into the 13th CIHEAM Ministerial Meeting, to be held in Rome on 16–17 November 2026, providing an opportunity to bring the priorities and recommendations emerging from this regional process to the attention of the Ministers of Agriculture of CIHEAM Member States. This connection between the regional technical and policy dialogue in Tunis and the Ministerial Meeting will help bridge evidence, field experience and political decision-making at Mediterranean level.
In parallel, the Regional Capacity Building Workshop will train approximately 60 government officials and practitioners from the Masar Al’an region (Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Palestine, Syria and Tunisia) strengthening their capacities to design and implement policies and programmes that support women entrepreneurs in agri-food value chains.
Discussions will focus on regional priorities identified through the Task Force’s diagnostic mapping and consultation process, including access to finance, innovation and digitalization, entrepreneurship support ecosystems, gender-responsive policies, sustainable agri-food systems, and mechanisms for regional cooperation. The CIHEAM will contribute in particular to the discussions on translating regional evidence into concrete policy and cooperation priorities, drawing on the expertise and experience of its Institutes and Mediterranean networks.
The event will also contribute to the celebration of the 2026 International Year of the Woman Farmer, launched by FAO, by promoting collective action and policy solutions that advance women’s leadership and economic participation in the agri-food sector.