Climate-resilient business models: UN Women and COLEAD’s commitment alongside women entrepreneurs

The collaboration between UN Women and COLEAD aims to support women entrepreneurs and business leaders from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP), as well as from other regions worldwide. In this context, the South–South online series was designed and implemented through the FFM+ programme, to foster cooperation and knowledge sharing, strengthen entrepreneurial skills, improve market access and encourage networking among women leaders.

The sixth session of the series, dedicated to climate-resilient business models for women entrepreneurs, took place on 26 November 2025 and was a clear success. It generated strong global interest, with 330 participants registered and accessing the full range of content and discussions.

The exchanges highlighted the critical importance of climate-resilient food systems led by women entrepreneurs in Africa, the Caribbean and beyond. Extreme weather events – including hurricanes, floods, droughts and heatwaves – disproportionately affect women’s agricultural livelihoods and the value chains in which they operate. These climate shocks are compounded by persistent structural barriers, such as limited access to land, finance, technologies and market networks.

The session also underlined that these challenges can be addressed through innovation, targeted support mechanisms and strengthened collective action. Panellists presented practical solutions, including climate-smart production methods (hydroponics, aquaponics and crop diversification), renewable energy-powered storage and logistics infrastructure, agro-processing hubs, and digital tools to enhance market access and operational efficiency. The importance of women-centred initiatives, cooperatives, mentorship, peer learning and tailored capacity-building programmes was also emphasised.

Finally, the discussions stressed the key role of gender-responsive climate finance, strategic public–private partnerships and systemic approaches to empower women, reduce post-harvest losses, secure supply chains and build sustainable, resilient food systems.

Recordings, highlights and presentations are available on the Agrinnovators platform.

This activity is supported by the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, implemented by COLEAD within the Framework of Development Cooperation between the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union. This publication receives financial support from the European Union and the OACPS. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of COLEAD and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union or the OACPS.