Rural cooperatives and farmers’ organizations play a crucial role in the eradication of hunger and poverty. One of the ways they achieve this is through their vocation to empower small agricultural producers, and in particular women farmers.

On the heels of the 2012 International AIDS Conference, which took place from July 22-27 in Washington DC, we sat down with Karine Garnier, FAO’s Nairobi-based regional emergency officer for gender and HIV.

Granting secure land rights to vulnerable farmers enables them to pursue income-earning activities, access credit, increase agricultural production and raise their overall living conditions. These key factors help to strengthen men and women’s bargaining power and their ability to make decisions on how their land can be used.

At a time when governments are designing strategies and making crucial decisions to restore long-term, inclusive economic growth, it is essential to raise the profile of rural women and to sensitize both governments and the wider public on the contributions they make to hunger eradication and the well-being of their communities.

Advancing rural women’s economic empowerment and access to decent rural employment, supporting associations in giving them a stronger voice in decision-making, and fostering their better access to land are three priority areas in enabling rural women to realize their full potential for food and nutrition security.