women

Did you know that women are responsible for roughly half of the world’s food production? The United Nations’ designation of 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer gives the global community a chance to highlight that fact and celebrate the incredibly important role women play in ensuring global food security. At the same time, it’s an unprecedented opportunity to underscore – and to address – the myriad social and economic challenges that women in agriculture face worldwide.

The first full week of May is Public Service Recognition Week—a time to honor the dedicated people who serve our country every day. USDA’s Research, Education, and Economics (REE) mission area is home to more than 8,500 public servants, who are some of the best and brightest mind in agriculture science.

Natural beauty, vibrant cities and diverse ecosystems make up USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service’s Northwest Region, which includes Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. With its temperate northern climate, it’s no surprise that the region is diverse in crops and livestock. With the 2022 Census of Agriculture, we discovered more about these agricultural treasures in the Northwest Region.

Chanika Forte, founder of Heart & Soil People’s Garden in Phoenix, Arizona, shared her reflections on the connections between women, gardening, and food justice. A dedicated advocate for community empowerment, environmental sustainability, and food sovereignty, Chanika is also the founder of BaeHive and ABC Mobile, a beekeeping program and education platform that promote sustainable agriculture.

At USDA, we harness the power of agricultural science to transform the world. To create a future that is more sustainable, prosperous and equitable for everyone. This requires a diverse scientific workforce that is driving innovation forward. Women voices and perspectives are a crucial part of this work.

USDA partnered for the first time with Women in Data for the non-governmental organization’s just-concluded Climate Sustainability Datathon, which is a friendly contest for people who really like to work with data.

Soon, many SNAP households will experience a change to their benefit amounts. That’s because the temporary pandemic-related boost to SNAP benefits, known as emergency allotments (EA), is coming to an end.

It’s Women’s History Month and I am proud to work alongside so many great women leaders at USDA.