This forum, organized by the Government of the Canary Islands, the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, and the Gáldar City Council, will focus on the role of rural women and the "care for life" as a fundamental axis for food production, territorial conservation, and sustainable development.
Over four days, professionals from the primary sector, technical staff, institutional representatives, collectives, and citizens will share knowledge and proposals to advance in organic production, the conservation of agricultural biodiversity, and the future of the rural environment. The event is supported by the Ministry of Education.
This ninth edition coincides with the International Year of Women Farmers and the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, declared by the United Nations for 2026. Under the slogan "The care for life," the contribution of women in agriculture and livestock farming, food production, and natural resource conservation will be debated.
The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Food Sovereignty of the Government of the Canary Islands, Narvay Quintero; the mayor of Gáldar, Teodoro Sosa; the insular director of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, Alejandro Báez; the Vice-Minister of Education, José Manuel Cabrera; the director of ICCA, Luis Arráez Guadalupe; and the coordinator of the Ecocomedores de Canarias Program, Margarita Hernández, presented the event's details.
The forum will combine six major specialized meetings and a broad program of cultural, educational, gastronomic, and participatory activities. Topics such as the incorporation of organic foods in public procurement and the improvement of food in collective canteens will be addressed.
The mayor of Gáldar, Teodoro Sosa, highlighted the municipality's pride in being the "epicenter in the Canary Islands on this issue" and reaffirmed the commitment to "stand by farmers 365 days a year."
The insular director of Agriculture, Alejandro Báez, emphasized the importance of these meetings for agreeing on the future for coming generations and recalled that the Cabildo allocates over 230,000 euros annually to promote organic production on the island.
The Vice-Minister of Education, José Manuel Cabrera, highlighted the importance of adopting healthy habits and the role of the Ecocomedores Program, which aims to increase the percentage of organic products in school canteens.
The program includes lectures such as "Towards the transformation of food systems in Spain" by Pablo Saralegui Díez and Gloria Guzmán Casado, and the screening of the audiovisual "Lives and agroecology in Gran Canaria."
The forum aims to involve society in building a more sustainable food system, with parallel activities including cooking workshops, dialogue sessions, screenings, and guided tours. The closing will be on Sunday, October 25, with the IX Fair of Agroecology and Biodiversity in Santiago de Gáldar square.
