On 4 June 2026, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), in partnership with CIHEAM, the FAO and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), held online the first meeting of the Regional Task Force on Innovation for Women in Agri-Food Value Chains, officially launching this new coordination mechanism. Bringing together twenty-five representatives from regional and international organisations, development partners and technical institutions, the meeting marked a new step forward in promoting women's entrepreneurship in agriculture, food and rural areas. The Task Force counts on the active membership of CGIAR, the BETA Technological Centre, the Berytech Foundation, the PRIMA Foundation (Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area), AUC CEI, CAWTAR (Center of Arab Women for Training and Research) and MedWaves (the UNEP/MAP Regional Activity Centre for SCP).

A Platform Supporting the Future Regional Policy Agenda 2026–2030

Conceived as a technical advisory and coordination platform, the Task Force will support the development and implementation of the forthcoming Regional Policy Agenda 2026–2030 on Innovation for Women in Agri-Food Value Chains, together with its associated Roadmap and the 2027 Action Plan. This work builds on the results of the SFS-Med Knowledge Hub (Sustainable Food Systems in the Mediterranean) and feeds into preparations for the Regional Policy Conference on Women Entrepreneurs in the Agri-Food Sector, to be held in Tunis on 28–29 October 2026 — a key milestone for advancing policy dialogue, knowledge exchange and regional cooperation on women's economic empowerment in the sector.

During this first meeting, participants discussed the methodology proposed by technical experts for developing the Agenda, including a regional mapping exercise to analyse existing initiatives, challenges, opportunities and good practice across the Euro-Mediterranean agri-food field. This mapping will be complemented by stakeholder consultations and interviews, ensuring the policy framework reflects regional needs and experiences.

The discussion highlighted several priority areas for future action: access to innovation ecosystems, finance, technology, skills development, markets and policy support. Participants also stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation among public institutions, international organisations, academia, innovation actors, civil society and the private sector, and discussed criteria for expanding the Task Force's membership to additional stakeholders. There was agreement on the need for a baseline mapping exercise that integrates a gender-responsive approach, supporting a clear regional monitoring framework geared towards mobilising private-sector actors around access to innovation and finance — building on relevant regional programmes such as Interreg NEXT MED, and drawing on good practice from outside the region, including experiences from Africa and South America.

From Zaragoza to Cairo: Building Regional Momentum

The launch of the Task Force builds on a series of regional processes and commitments that trace back to that first Symposium in Zaragoza. The initiative was carried forward in October 2025 through a large-scale regional dialogue held in Cairo on Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in the MENA Agri-Food Sector through Social and Technological Innovation, which brought together nearly eighty institutional, technical and economic stakeholders and helped strengthen the capacities of dozens of women entrepreneurs and cooperative leaders. This regional momentum sits within the broader framework of the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly.

Towards Rome, Tunis and Barcelona

Beyond its launch and its presentation at the Regional Policy Conference in Tunis on 28-29 October, the Regional Agenda on Innovation for Women Entrepreneurs in Agri-Food Value Chains will also be brought to the attention of Member States at the next CIHEAM Ministerial Meeting in Rome on 16 November 2026, reflecting CIHEAM's longstanding commitment to inclusion and equal opportunities within food systems. It will further be presented at the UfM Regional Platform on Women's Empowerment physical meeting in Barcelona on 24 November, reinforcing the coherence and impact of initiatives undertaken across the Euro-Mediterranean region. The work of the Task Force will thus help shape the institutional agenda for the end of 2026.