FAO recognizes Venezuelan farmer María Catalicia Torres as a food hero

Published at: 12/10/2026 10:41 AM

Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez made visible this Monday in Rome the recognition granted by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to the Andean farmer María Catalicia Torres, guardian of native potato seeds, as part of the activities of the International Year of Women Farmers.

During her speech at the international summit, the president highlighted the value of community agricultural production and the transmission of ancestral knowledge in the Venezuelan Andes as a pillar of food sovereignty and peasant resistance to the hegemonic agro-industrial model.

“We are proud that FAO has recognized our María Catalicia Torres as one of the heroes of food, because in it we recognize Venezuelan rural women who preserve seeds and knowledge transmitted between generations,” said the dignitary.

The recognition positions the leading role of Venezuelan peasant women in the preservation of biodiversity, the defense of national identity and the construction of sustainable and independent food systems.

Mazo News Team