Ms. Esther Penunia
Secretary General, Asian Farmers Association
Ms. Ma. Estrella “Esther” Penunia is Secretary General of the Asian Farmers’ Association or AFA, a regional alliance of national farmers organizations in Asia. Established in 2002, AFA is currently composed of twenty national FOs in sixteen countries, representing around 13 million small-scale men and women farmers, fishers and indigenous peoples. AFA believes that investments in empowering farmers’ organizations and in strengthening their cooperatives are investments in unleashing the potentials of millions of family farmers in the work of ending hunger and poverty in the world. Esther was appointed FAO Special Ambassador for the 2014 International Year of Family Farming. As a social development worker, Esther spent more than three decades of professional years in the field of rural development, working with the famers, fishers and indigenous peoples’ sectors in various capacities as community organizer, participatory action researcher, trainer, gender advocate, consultant, campaigns coordinator, NGO executive/manager and networker. She and her husband are currently working in partnership with a farming family in developing a 2-hectare upland farm through sustainable, integrated, diversified, organic practices.