Annual Report 2025-2026
Annual Report
2025-2026

Benin

Project
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Femmes-Hwé-Nou

The Femmes-Hwé-Nou project has helped women farmers and young people entering the agricultural sector in Benin strengthen their resilience to climate change by adopting best practices in sustainable agriculture and soil health.

In December 2025, the project reached a major milestone. After more than a year of testing  within climate advisory clubs, these best practices began to be scaled up across the three partner agricultural organizations: the Union communale des producteurs (UCP), the Réseau coopératif des organisations professionnelles de manioc et de maïs (RC-OPMM) and the Union des groupements coopératifs des agriculteurs Mowossokpo (UGAM).

In total, 6,855 people, including 3,349 women and 3,661 young people, participated in training activities and climate advisory clubs, where they were able to test and adopt new practices on their farms.

Progress Toward Gender Equality

This year also marked the launch of a major gender equality awareness campaign.

In several villages, discussion groups were established to provide women farmers with safe spaces to share their experiences, build their confidence, and strengthen their knowledge of sustainable agriculture, financial management, and gender equality.

To encourage dialogue around social norms, communities chose an original approach: humor. Role-playing activities, board games, and humorous videos created by participants helped spark conversations on sensitive issues such as positive masculinity, the sharing of household responsibilities, and women's participation in economic and community life.

In Adja-Ouèrè, these discussions extended to village and religious leaders to ensure that gender equality issues receive greater consideration in community life and decision-making processes in the futur.

Although the project will end soon, the foundations are already firmly in place for women farmers and the next generation of young agricultural entrepreneurs to strengthen their climate resilience, take on greater leadership roles within their organizations, and contribute to the development of their communities.

Femmes-Hwé-Nou is made possible through financial support from the Government of Quebec under the International Climate Cooperation Program (PCCI), an initiative of the 2030 Green Economy Plan.

Via Pôle Support to Climate Advisory Clubs

Over the past year, agronomist Éliane Martel, Director of the Lavi-Eau-Champ agro-environmental advisory club and a consultant with Via Pôle, worked alongside the climate advisory clubs involved in the Femmes-Hwé-Nou project.

During two visits to Benin, she supported local teams in structuring the climate advisory clubs and developing an advisory approach centered on the needs and realities of local farmers.

By emphasizing active listening, trust-building, and adaptation to local conditions, her guidance helped strengthen the autonomy of the climate advisory clubs. The tools, methods, and vision she shared will continue to support their growth and development for years to come, well beyond the life of the project.

Dr. Akplo’s Contribution

Since 2024, Dr. Tobi Moriaque Akplo, a researcher in the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Abomey-Calavi, has been sharing his expertise with women farmers and young people entering the agricultural sector through the Femmes-Hwé-Nou project.

Whether delivering training on improved water management or supporting the climate advisory clubs, his role has been to bridge scientific knowledge and local agricultural expertise in order to identify solutions adapted to local realities.

By working alongside women farmers, young people, agricultural technicians, and farmer leaders, he has contributed to the co-creation and testing of best practices in sustainable agriculture and soil health, including composting and the production of natural fertilizers.

To date, more than 100 solutions have been tested to improve soil health, optimize water management, and strengthen farms' resilience to climate change.

This is further proof that the most promising innovations emerge when research is developed in partnership with the people who work the land every day.

Tunisia
Bolivia
Martin Caron
President of the Board

The contribution of women farmers to food security and global agriculture is immeasurable. Women make up approximately 43% of the agricultural workforce in developing countries and, in many regions, produce between 60% and 80% of the food supply.

Their role extends far beyond agricultural production. Women farmers help ensure household nutrition, promote the sustainable management of natural resources, and contribute to the preservation of biodiversity.

Despite their vital contribution, they continue to face significant inequalities. They have less access than men to land, credit, training, and agricultural technologies. Closing this gap is not only a matter of social justice, but also an economic and food security imperative. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), providing women farmers with equal access to resources could increase agricultural yields by 20% to 30% and help lift up to 45 million people out of hunger.

As 2026 marks the International Year of the Woman Farmer, it is more important than ever to recognize and celebrate their work. Supporting women farmers around the world, including here in Quebec, and highlighting their contributions means investing in a more sustainable and food-secure future.

Hugo Beauregard-Langelier
Chief Executive Director

No more setbacks, Mobilizing for Progress

On a crowded bus, it is not uncommon to hear the driver call out to passengers, “Move forward towards the back!”

This expression aptly reflects the state of women’s rights around the world: far too many setbacks are being presented as progress. From sexual and reproductive rights to femicide and online harassment, setbacks are occurring on multiple fronts, from Afghanistan to the United States.

In the face of these setbacks, silence is not an option. To remain silent would be to surrender to injustice. The response must be strong, collective, and sustained. The International Year of the Woman Farmer provides an important opportunity to advance that response.

Although nearly 90% of the world’s 570 million farms are family-run and involve women as farmers, entrepreneurs, mothers, and daughters, women remain far too often invisible: invisible in decision-making processes, invisible in farm management, and, above all, invisible when it comes to income and economic opportunities.

The International Year of the Woman Farmer is an opportunity to shine a light on the essential roles women play throughout the agricultural value chain, from production to marketing. Throughout this year, UPA International Development will help raise awareness of the critical contributions women farmers make to food security, nutrition, and the economic development of their communities.

Beyond 2026, we will continue to stand alongside women farmers, just as we have for more than 30 years. Because advancing equity and justice for women means advancing society as a whole.

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