Backed by Türkiye’s USD 30 million trust fund, the FAO–Türkiye Partnership Programmes strengthen food security, combat rural poverty, and promote sustainable resource management. Through collaboration and knowledge-sharing, these initiatives drive lasting change across agriculture and forestry in Central Asia, the Caucasus, Africa, and beyond.

The podcast "Harvesting progress and equality: voices of Türkiye's rural women" highlights the essential roles that rural women play in Türkiye’s agrifood systems focusing on the “Leaving no one behind: Greater involvement and empowerment of rural women in Türkiye and Central Asia”. This initiative, supported by the Government of Türkiye and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) under the FAO-Türkiye Partnership Programme, aims to improve rural women's lives by offering them training in farming and entrepreneurship, promoting gender equality, and helping them recover from disasters like the 2023 earthquakes.

This episode discusses the project’s efforts across Türkiye, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, where rural women receive technical training and support to grow their farms, launch businesses, and form cooperatives. It also explores the establishment of Women Development Units in Burdur, Kahramanmaraş, and Ordu—an important step toward creating sustainable, gender-responsive agricultural services.

A project beneficiary from Kahramanmaraş, reflects on her personal experience with the training provided and discusses her future plans in food production. Kahramanmaraş, a significant agricultural hub in southeastern Türkiye, was deeply affected by the February 2023 earthquakes, making this empowerment initiative even more critical.