The thematic session during the Investment Forum 2025 served as a strong reminder that productivity and profitability increase when investments are made with a focus on enhancing opportunities for women and youth.

Commit to Grow Equality (CGE) hosted its first private sector roundtable to facilitate peer-learning on business and supply chain initiatives that seek to improve women’s participation and productivity in agrifood systems. 

olam food ingredients (ofi), a global leader in food and beverage ingredients, joined Commit to Grow Equality in 2024 as the initiative’s first private sector partner. Here, ofi shares examples of interventions implemented by the company to help empower women and safeguard children in its communities.

FAO launched the first CGE progress report at a dynamic event in New York, encouraging stakeholders to take concrete action to accelerate gender equality and women’s empowerment in agrifood systems.

FAO’s Commit to Grow Equality initiative has attracted an initial set of wide-ranging commitments from a diverse group of stakeholders that could benefit up to 54 million women in agrifood systems.

NEW YORK – Correcting the gender gap in agrifood systems would dramatically reduce the worldwide hunger rate, raise the incomes of hundreds of millions of people and add $1 trillion to global gross domestic product, offering one of the most effective pathways towards the common objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Building on findings from its pivotal report on ‘The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems’, FAO has launched a powerful call to action encouraging stakeholders to commit to significant financing and partnerships that can increase gender equality and women's empowerment in agrifood systems.

At CSW68, FAO cohosted several side events and participated in more, highlighting the importance of women's empowerment in building sustainable agrifood systems.