Aguascalientes, Ags., March 14, 2025. In commemoration of the International Women's Day, the Universidad Panamericana, Aguascalientes campus through the School of Food Business Management reaffirms its commitment to women's participation and leadership in the agri-food sector, with the Congress The other side of agribusiness: women in the value chain..
The event brought together national and international experts to analyze the key role of women in agribusiness and discuss strategies to strengthen the sustainability, innovation and inclusion in the in the sector's value chain.
Evolution of the agrifood sector in Mexico
In Congress The other side of agriculture: women in the value chain we counted with the outstanding presence of Valeria Piñeiroregional representative for Latin America and the Caribbean and senior research coordinator at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), who shared her vision on food systems and food security.who shared her vision on sustainable agri-food systems through the lecture "Agri-food systems as strategies for strengthening sustainable development"..
During his speech, he highlighted the evolution of the agricultural sector and the growing demand for healthier diets, as well as the urgency of reducing the environmental impact of production processes. "A great change that has taken place in the last decades is that the agricultural sector is no longer asked for the same things, we ask for much more and in a sustainable way: now it is concerned about producing healthier diets and at the same time taking care of the environment," he said.he emphasizes.
Women's participation in the agribusiness sector
One of the most important facts that Ms. Valeria revealed is that worldwide, 36% of employment in the agrifood system is held by women and 21% of the primary sector workforce, i.e., in the agricultural sector, is also female. However, women earn less income than men.
In our country, three decades ago the productivity growth rate was 2%; by 2015 the rate dropped to 1.1% and since 2020 it has remained stable, which means that there has been no growth.
On the other hand, agricultural exports have shown a 2% annual increase; however, 91% of agricultural exports are destined for the United States, while 1.5% are destined for Canada.
Thirty-six percent of those over 18 years of age are obese, 500,000 additional women are in conditions of moderate to severe food insecurity and the gender gap in food insecurity increased by 0.32 points.
Despite these challenges, Mexico has made progress in food security, allowing 3.6 million people to emerge from food insecurity and 6 million to have access to healthier diets.
Agri-food systems, strategies for sustainable development
Ms. Piñeiro highlighted that agrifood systems play a crucial role in the UN 2030 Agenda and its commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In Mexico, 66% of agricultural production units have implemented environmental protection actions, such as the separation of chemical packaging (82%) and fire prevention (42%).
"These points may not generate a very big impact, but at least it generates awareness on the part of producers that we have to make changes in the way we produce in order to somehow adapt to climate change," he adds.he adds.
In terms of global trade, increases in sustainable productivity are urgently needed, where not only climate change is one of the factors influencing this area, but also all the complications of geopolitical fragmentation.
Finally, the expert emphasized and invited the public to reflect on the current problem of the lack of incentives that can be given to producers to adopt technologies to promote sustainable production.
"There are many technologies that exist and various forms more than the productive process, we were talking about financial support, for example. Each producer is different and depending on the type of product, they are the needs that are going to have" he expresses.
Panel "Women transforming agribusiness".
During the event, there was an inspiring panel of women leaders who are transforming the industry, the guests were: Gaby GaliciaManaging Director of Agroestimulantes Mexicanos; Gaby de Andatraditional cook from Aguascalientes; Adriana Aguirredirector of the Centro Polivalente Vitícola; Jessica Kellervice president of Global Industry Relations at IFPA, and Valeria Piñeiroregional representative for Latin America and the Caribbean and senior research coordinator at IFPRI.
With more than 20 years of experience, Gaby Galicia has focused her career in the crop fertilizer manufacturing sector with a strong presence in Mexico and, in recent years, has sought to position herself in South America.
Due to the need for evolution that the agri-food sector demands, Agroestime's business has encouraged the innovation of new products. However, the greatest challenge faced by companies is not having sufficient resources.
"In my company we do not pollute rivers, we do not waste resources, we have solar panels, etc., we are always looking for alternatives to maintain this moral commitment", he says.he says.
Adriana Aguirre, an expert in the value chain of strategic products, pointed out the progress made in the agroindustrial sector:
"I believe that over time, although we have struggled to open spaces in the world, we have achieved an enormous evolution", he says.he says.
Gaby de Anda, activist and traditional cook, proudly represented Aguascalientes in the national contest "A qué sabe patria 2023". national contest "A qué sabe la patria 2023" (What the homeland tastes like 2023) with her dish adobo de mezquite. with her dish adobo de mezquite, where for the first time the state was selected as one of the 10 best dishes in Mexico.
"I believe that the woman's hand is noticeable in any project; she is more human and closer, even to take any product to the public, she arrives in a more empathetic and sensitive way", she declares.she declares.
On the other hand, the activist is part of the Colectivo de Mujeres de los Parga, who for the past eight years have been organizing the Ruta del Mezquite, a festival that promotes the cultural and gastronomic rescue of the region; she is also part of the Cocineras Tradicionales de Aguascalientes Sí Saaabe (Traditional Cooks of Aguascalientes Yes Saaabe).
Finally, Valeria Piñeiro called for the promotion of diversity and inclusion in work teams, stressing that this enhances innovation and business growth. "Teams have to be diverse, otherwise innovation would be lower, we would all think alike. When I put together research teams, what I spend most of my time doing is looking for the best team," he says.he emphasizes.
The importance of sustainability in agribusiness
The participants also stressed the importance of perceiving and empathizing with sustainability in environmental terms, but also in economic and social terms, and how to achieve this in the best possible way. They also highlighted the importance of resilience and adaptability within the agribusiness sector.
Through initiatives such as this congress, the Universidad Panamericana Universidad Panamericana campus Aguascalientesreinforces its mission of promoting sustainable development and female empowerment in agribusiness.
