The future of food is female: this must be clear at UNGA80

Stefanos Fotiou is director of the United Nations Food Systems Coordination Hub.

Women form the backbone of food systems and have the power to drive their renewal.

In Africa, they make up nearly half of the agricultural labour force while across Asia and the Pacific, women lead innovations in food processing, nutrition, and climate-resilient farming.

Globally, they make up the majority of smallholder farmers, are the primary stewards of household nutrition, and essential actors in food distribution. Yet they continue to face systemic barriers, including less access to land and credit, lower representation in decision-making, and heavier burdens of unpaid care.

At the U.N. Food Systems Summit Stocktaking Moment (UNFSS+4) in Addis Ababa in July, the message was clear: while change is happening, it is not happening fast enough. Food systems remain fragile in the face of climate shocks, conflicts, and economic downturns. Hunger and malnutrition are rising again in several regions.

But the summit also highlighted a path forward.

When women are empowered – when they have equal rights to land, access to markets, financing, and technology – entire communities thrive. Studies show that closing the gender gap in agriculture could increase yields by up to 30% and reduce global hunger for more than 100 million people.

The case is moral, but it is also economic, social, and environmental.

In New York this month, the U.N. General Assembly, UNGA80, offers an opportunity to bring this evidence to the highest level of decision-making and to demand concrete commitments from governments and donors: gender equity must be a cornerstone of food systems transformation.

Youth and women driving innovation

At UNFSS+4 regional meetings earlier this year, I drew inspiration from young leaders.

In Bangkok, I listened to young women demanding that their governments invest in agro-ecological practices, nutrition education, and digital tools to democratise food access.

Their Youth Declaration on Food Systems Transformation, delivered in Addis Ababa, insists on embedding gender equality into every level of action – from classrooms to parliaments to international negotiations.

These voices matter. They remind us that the next generation will not inherit resilient food systems unless today’s leaders dismantle the structural inequalities holding women and girls back. UNGA80 offers the ideal space to amplify their calls and turn them into policy.

Private sector responsibility

Transformation is not limited to governments. The private sector – particularly food and consumer goods companies – plays an outsized role in shaping diets, production, and consumption patterns.

In conversations with industry leaders, I have argued that companies must treat gender inclusion as core business. Women-led enterprises are innovating in sustainable packaging, regenerative farming, and digital food platforms. When corporations invest in these solutions, they accelerate progress while opening new markets.

At the Addis summit, business leaders began to acknowledge this. But acknowledgement is not enough. At UNGA80, industry must join governments and civil society in making measurable, transparent commitments to women’s empowerment in food systems.

Breaking down barriers

The barriers are real and persistent. Patriarchal norms limit women’s participation in agricultural cooperatives. Land inheritance laws in many countries still exclude daughters. Financial institutions too often overlook women entrepreneurs.

And when crises strike – whether a drought, a pandemic, or a conflict – women are the first to sacrifice their nutrition to feed their families.

These challenges cannot be solved by rhetoric.

They demand bold policy and investment. Some governments are beginning to lead: Ethiopia’s gender-responsive extension services, Nepal’s women-led cooperatives, and West African regional initiatives to enhance women’s access to finance are encouraging examples. But these efforts must be expanded globally.

As the world’s attention turns to New York, leaders should commit to three urgent priorities.

We must invest in women’s leadership in food systems – from local farmers’ associations to global governance spaces. Women must be decision-makers, not just participants.

Secondly, we must embed gender metrics into global food financing – every dollar of investment should be tracked for its impact on women and girls, ensuring accountability and transparency.

And thirdly, we must champion locally-driven, women-led solutions – from climate-smart agriculture to nutrition education. The innovations are already there; they need recognition, resources, and scaling.

At UNFSS+4, the energy was palpable: young leaders, women’s groups, and governments came together around a shared vision of sustainable, equitable food systems. We must keep up that momentum in New York.

If we are serious about ending hunger, tackling climate change, and building resilient societies, then we must be serious about gender equality

Women are not an afterthought in the story of food – they are at its center. At UNGA80, leaders must make that principle the basis for action.