Women drive significant global agricultural production and rural economies

Women play a critical role in the global agricultural sector, comprising approximately 43% of the worldwide agricultural workforce. Experts suggest that providing women with equal access to resources, financing, and technology could increase global food production by 20% to 30%.

In Mexico, over one million women work in agriculture, livestock, fishing, and forestry. The country recorded an agri-food trade surplus of $7.795 billion in 2024. In Chile, women represent 23% of the forestry, agricultural, and fishing employment, though much of their contribution—such as subsistence farming and domestic care—remains unrecorded in traditional GDP metrics.

In the Misiones province of Argentina, female participation in training for yerba mate and tea production rose from 14% in 2021 to 41% in 2025. Additionally, women lead 41.2% of the small brands and cooperatives supported by the provincial government in the yerba mate sector.