Annual Report 2025-2026

Annual Report

2025-2026

Peru

In Peru, our support directly reached 348 people this year and helped 84 women develop their leadership and make their voices heard within their organizations and communities.

Project

Soil Testing

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Soil Testing

Data-Driven Decisions

In Peru's Andean region of Inkawasi, the San Fernando Cooperative brings together more than 450 farming families specialized in high-altitude coffee production.

To help its members improve soil health and use water and fertilizers more sustainably, the cooperative has conducted more than 500 soil tests. Faced with such a large volume of data, the technical team sought support to strengthen its capacity to analyze and interpret the results.

Volunteer agronomist Frédérick Boutin travelled to Peru to train the team in soil analysis interpretation and the implementation of a computer-based tool that calculates fertilizer recommendations based on crop needs.

His support has helped the cooperative become more self-reliant. The team can now effectively analyze results, identify plots requiring priority attention, and recommend practices tailored to each farming family.

By relying on data-informed decisions rather than one-size-fits-all approaches, the cooperative is helping improve the productivity of family farms while preserving soil health. This approach also helps reduce unnecessary input costs and limit impacts on the environment and nearby water sources.

The improvements made to the analysis and advisory service have also helped strengthen the relationship between the cooperative and its members, who feel better supported and more connected to their organization.

Thank you, Frédérick, for your openness and dedication, and congratulations to the technical team on their new skills!

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.