ICA-AP to Host Regional Conference in Hanoi to Mark the International Year of Women Farmers 2026

The International Cooperative Alliance – Asia and Pacific (ICA-AP), together with its Committee on Women, will organise the Asia-Pacific Regional Conference to Commemorate the International Year of Women Farmers 2026 in Hanoi, Vietnam, from 7 to 9 May 2026. The conference is being held under the theme “Empowered to Grow: Women Leading Change in Agriculture through Cooperation.” It is organised in collaboration with the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance (VCA) and the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives (ACFSMC), with support from the ICA–EU Financial Framework Partnership Agreement (FFPA) and Japanese Consumers’ Co-operative Union (JCCU).

The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2026 as the International Year of Women Farmers to recognise and strengthen the contribution of women in agriculture. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) welcomes the declaration “as an opportunity to highlight the importance of social protection in reducing gender inequalities and empowering rural women in agrifood systems.

The conference brings an opportunity to give greater visibility to women cooperative farmers, celebrate & highlight their contribution to agricultural development, elevate the visibility of women farmer leaders, showcase cooperative approaches that advance gender equality, and create a platform for regional policy dialogue across Asia and the Pacific It also reflects the organisation’s long-standing work with women in agricultural cooperatives through programmes focused on digital financial inclusion, climate change, sustainable and climate-smart agriculture, family farming, leadership development, and agri-marketing.

The three-day conference will open on 7 May with a Ceremony of Roots and Renewal and keynote remarks, followed by a story-sharing session where women cooperative farmers from across the Asia-Pacific region will share their experiences, challenges, and successes. The day will also include a panel discussion on the challenges faced by women cooperative farmers in a changing world, and presentations on sustainable practices and innovation in agri-food systems.

On 8 May, the programme will focus on capacity building and policy dialogue. Sessions will cover environmental sustainability and climate-resilient agri-food systems, followed by a discussion on the gender profile of agriculture in Vietnam and its implications for cooperative policy. The day will conclude with a policy dialogue on pathways for women in agricultural cooperatives and the signing of the Asia-Pacific Declaration on Women Farmers in Cooperatives 2026.

Participants will take part in a learning visit to women-led agricultural cooperatives in Viet Nam on 9 May as an opportunity for practical learning and exchange among participants.

The conference is expected to bring together women cooperative farmers from Vietnam and other countries in Asia and the Pacific, cooperative leaders, representatives of government and international organisations, researchers, and media. Participants will include active members of agricultural cooperatives, preferably from the primary or secondary level, as well as elected leaders and office bearers involved in production, processing, or marketing.

At the end of the conference, a formal joint Declaration is expected to be released by ICA-AP and its programmatic partners. The Declaration will be in support of women cooperative farmers, recognizing their contribution to the agri-food systems, and calling for an enhanced enabling environment with effective gender responsive policies and practices within agricultural cooperatives in the Asia and Pacific region.