Syngenta Vegetable Seeds is proud to join the global celebration of the United Nations’ International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026 (IYWF 2026) by helping amplify the voices of women across agriculture and inviting them to share their stories. Women farmers play an essential and often unsung role in sustaining the agrifood systems that feed the world, and Syngenta wants to help bring their experiences, leadership, and impact into the spotlight.
Declared by the UN, IYWF 2026 recognizes women farmers’ vital contributions across all segments of agrifood systems, from crop production and post-harvest processing to distribution, trade, and beyond. In 2021, women made up 41% of the global agrifood workforce1, yet rural women still face disproportionate barriers to resources, land, and economic opportunity. IYWF 2026 calls on organizations, governments, and individuals to recognize, value, and invest in empowering women in agriculture.
Empowering women in agriculture strengthens entire communities and drives meaningful, lasting impact, including advancing food security and reducing hunger and poverty, improving the quality of life and long-term security for women farmers and their families, and strengthening women’s leadership and expanding access to learning, training, and tools.
“Women farmers are the growers, decision-makers, innovators, and caregivers who keep food moving from field to table, and their work is the foundation of thriving communities,” said Walkyhr Macy, Customer Experience Specialist, West U.S., Syngenta Vegetable Seeds. “We want to recognize women contributing on farms, in businesses, and in research and education along with the often-unseen, unpaid roles that sustain families and communities.”
To honor and celebrate women in agriculture, Syngenta Vegetable Seeds invites women and allies across the agrifood system, including growers, processors, dealers, researchers, educators, and more, to share stories of how they are empowering women farmers. Participants are invited to submit a photo and a short description of the impact they’re making in their fields, workplaces, and communities. This is not a contest; stories may be selected for featuring based on completeness, clarity, and required permissions. Selected submissions will be showcased at Syngenta’s Future of Veg Field Day events, taking place August 11–13, 2026, in Woodland, California and Plainfield, Wisconsin.
Fernanda Ferraro, Marketing Head, West U.S., Syngenta Vegetable Seeds, sees the initiative as an extension of Syngenta’s broader commitment to making a real-world difference. “At Syngenta Vegetable Seeds, we’re working to transform how vegetables are grown, harvested, processed, shipped, marketed, and consumed to support a more sustainable world,” Ferraro said. “For the International Year of the Woman Farmer, we’re proud to help amplify the voices of women and to recognize their impact by sharing their stories at Future of Veg.”
The Future of Veg Field Day events bring together growers, channel partners, and industry professionals for an immersive look at Syngenta’s latest innovations in vegetable varieties. This year’s program runs simultaneously at two locations, hosting growers from across the U.S. and international markets, with Woodland showcasing cucurbits, solanaceous crops, bulbs, and more, and Plainfield featuring innovations in fresh and processing sweet corn and beans.
The submission window is open July 6–16, 2026. Stories must be submitted by the individual featured so that Syngenta can obtain the necessary permissions to share the story and any images. To submit a photo and story, visit www.syngentavegetables.com/en-us/international-year-woman-farmer-2026.
For more information about IYWF 2026, visit www.fao.org/woman-farmer-2026/en
