Agriculture can be a powerful space of dignity, inclusion, and environmental stewardship, a place where new cultures of respect take root. This vision sits at the heart of “Friends of the Earth”, the award promoted by Donne Coldiretti to celebrate women who transform their agricultural enterprises into engines of social change.
This year, the recognition took on an even deeper significance as it was presented November 25, 2025 during the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, a moment dedicated to affirming autonomy, freedom, and the fight against gender-based discrimination. As recent Istat data tragically confirms, violence against women remains an urgent issue both inside and outside the family. Through their daily work in the fields, these women are not only building farms, they are cultivating resilience, opportunity, and a cultural response to injustice.
Among the stories celebrated in Rome, one stood out for its global reach and community impact: Eman Seif, member of WorldFMC and recipient of the award in the category “Campagna Amica Around the World: Stories of Egyptian Women Farmers.”
Bringing Campagna Amica to Alexandria
Eman Seif is the manager of the Alexandria Farmers Markets, the first market opened under the MAMi flag and a proud member of the World Farmers Markets Coalition. With vision and determination, she introduced the Campagna Amica model to Egypt, opening Alexandria’s very first farmers market, a milestone that quickly evolved into far more than a commercial space.
Today, the market is a lively meeting point where women producers exchange knowledge, share experiences, and support one another. It has become a place of solidarity, professional growth, and cultural exchange, showing how the farmers’ market model can spark renewal even in urban contexts where traditions and modernity intertwine.
A Story of Empowerment and Community
By empowering Egyptian women farmers, Eman is helping rewrite local agricultural narratives. Her work demonstrates how access to markets, visibility, and community support can change lives, not only for producers, but for families and neighborhoods.
Her leadership reflects the very spirit of the “Friends of the Earth” award:
the belief that agriculture can foster freedom, rebuild dignity, and offer women a concrete path to autonomy.
A Global Example
Eman Seif’s recognition by Donne Coldiretti is more than an award, it is an acknowledgment of a movement taking root beyond borders. Through her work with the Alexandria Farmers Markets, she embodies the transformative potential of local markets: places where sustainable food systems, community resilience, and women’s empowerment rise together.
Her story shows how a single market can become a catalyst for broader social transformation and why the world is taking notice.
