ExpoAmazónica 2026 in Cusco: Policies, Financing, and Women on the Path Toward Regenerative Production
In Peru, around 30% of agricultural production units are managed by women, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI). In Amazon regions, their participation in agricultural activities can exceed 40%, especially in systems linked to food security and local economies that depend directly on forests.
Despite their contribution, significant gaps remain. Data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) show that rural women in Latin America face limited access to land, credit, technical assistance, and formal markets. Only a fraction have access to financing, restricting their ability to invest, innovate, or adapt to contexts increasingly shaped by climate variability.
Closing these gaps has direct effects on productivity and the sustainability of production systems. FAO estimates that if women had the same access to productive resources as men, agricultural production could increase by 20% to 30%, with impacts extending beyond the economy to food security and territorial resilience.
“In the Peruvian Amazon, where production means coexisting with fragile and highly biodiverse ecosystems, this role takes on another dimension. Decisions about what to plant, how to manage the soil, or when to rotate crops define incomes and influence forest health. Within this daily balance, women’s leadership becomes decisive”, said Aimée Leslie, Conservation Director at WWF Peru.
Experiences in value chains such as cocoa, coffee, agroforestry systems, regenerative agriculture, and regenerative livestock farming show that women’s participation is associated with more sustainable practices, greater income diversification, and more careful management of natural resources. According to WWF Peru, in many cases, women are the ones who sustain the continuity of these practices over time.
The “Regenerative Agriculture and Livestock Forum” at ExpoAmazónica will bring these elements into dialogue, connecting public policy, financing, and local knowledge as key components of a transition that is already underway, although it still faces challenges in scaling up. At the same time, different initiatives are demonstrating that this transformation is viable on the ground.
Initiatives led by organizations such as WWF, in coordination with public actors and technical partners, are implementing regenerative livestock practices in the Peruvian Amazon, integrating sustainable pasture management, soil restoration, and the reduction of pressure on forests.
“These efforts are connected to broader agendas promoted alongside institutions such as the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation, the Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations, Amazon regional governments, and coordination platforms such as the Amazon Regional Commonwealth, where interinstitutional coordination is beginning to create more favorable conditions for scaling a productive model aligned with conservation and rural development”, Leslie emphasized.
© WWF-US/Yawar Films
