Sowing Peace, Harvesting Hope: Women Bean Farmers of Eastern DRC

Gathered in Nairobi on 31 March and 1 April 2025, approximately thirty key actors in the Beans for Women Empowerment (B4WE) initiative mapped a new course for Eastern DRC’s bean value chain. The retreat set four priorities: widen the supply of biofortified seeds, accelerate agronomic and digital innovation, deepen women’s economic power, and weave conflict sensitivity throughout field operations to preserve social cohesion. With renewed backing from Global Affairs Canada (GAC), the project aims to turn every bean planted into a catalyst for peace, nutrition and sustainable prosperity.