Launch of the Regional Task Force on Women and Innovation in Agri-Food Value Chains
On 4 June 2026, the first meeting of the Regional Task Force launched by the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), in partnership with the CIHEAM, FAO and AECID, was held online. Officially established on this occasion, this consultation and coordination platform aims to strengthen innovation and the economic empowerment of women in agri-food value chains across the Euro-Mediterranean region.
Bringing together twenty-five representatives from regional and international organisations, development partners and technical institutions, this inaugural meeting marks a new step forward in promoting women's entrepreneurship in the agricultural and food sectors, as well as in rural areas. The Task Force brings together several leading regional actors, including CGIAR, the BETA Technological Centre, the Berytech Foundation, PRIMA, AUC CEI, CAWTAR and MEDWAVES.
A Platform Supporting the Future Regional Policy Agenda 2026–2030
Designed as a consultative platform and a technical coordination mechanism, the Task Force will support the development and implementation of the future Regional Policy Agenda 2026–2030 on innovation for women in agri-food value chains. It will also contribute to the preparation of its roadmap and the Action Plan scheduled for 2027. This work will build in particular on the achievements of the SFS-Med Platform (Sustainable Food Systems in the Mediterranean).
During this first meeting, participants reviewed and endorsed the proposed methodology for developing the Agenda. Among the first steps will be the implementation of a regional mapping exercise aimed at identifying existing initiatives, key challenges and opportunities, as well as highlighting good practices across both shores of the Mediterranean.
In Preparation for the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026
The establishment of this Task Force builds on the regional momentum generated in recent years. In June 2025, CIHEAM Zaragoza hosted, alongside the UfM and the Spanish Cooperation, the International Symposium on Women's Empowerment and Innovation in Mediterranean Agri-Food Systems. This initiative was further advanced in October of the same year through a large-scale regional dialogue held in Cairo, which brought together nearly eighty institutional, technical and economic stakeholders. The event helped strengthen the capacities of dozens of women entrepreneurs and cooperative leaders while laying the foundations for a future Regional Innovation Agenda.
Towards the CIHEAM Ministerial Meeting in Rome
The work of the Task Force will contribute to several major institutional milestones scheduled for 2026. The draft Regional Policy Agenda on Innovation will first be presented at the Regional Policy Conference to be held in Tunis on 28–29 October.
Reflecting CIHEAM’s longstanding commitment to inclusion and equal opportunities within food systems, the Agenda will also be brought to the attention of Member States during the next CIHEAM Ministerial Meeting, scheduled to take place in Rome on 16 November 2026. It will further contribute to the work of the UfM Regional Platform on Women Empowerment, thereby reinforcing the coherence and impact of initiatives undertaken across the Euro-Mediterranean region. The work of the Task Force will thus help shape the institutional agenda for the end of 2026.