Tequila Industry and the Agave Tequila Product System (SIPAT) Strengthen Market Access for Agave Grown by Women

• On the occasion of the International Day of Rural Women, agave growers and tequila producers seek to expand market opportunities for women agave growers and acknowledge challenges related to land ownership and access to financing.
• More than 190 women agave growers participate in the Socially Responsible Agave (ARS) program.

Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, October 15, 2026

Press Release CS12/CNIT

In recognition of the International Day of Rural Women, observed every October 15, the Agave Tequila Product System (SIPAT) and the Chamber of the Tequila Industry (CNIT) are working together to expand market opportunities for women agave growers through initiatives that facilitate direct connections with tequila companies and strengthen their participation throughout the production chain.

One of the tools advancing this objective is the Socially Responsible Agave (ARS) program, developed by the tequila industry and the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT). The program aims to facilitate the marketing of agave grown by traditional farmers, reduce intermediaries, and promote direct commercial relationships with companies in the sector.

As of October 5, 2026, the ARS program had recorded 279,905 metric tons of agave sold, with 1,847 growers participating in commercial transactions and 173 tequila companies affiliated with the program. These figures illustrate the reach of a strategy that also seeks to expand economic opportunities for the more than 190 women agave growers registered on the platform.

The collaboration between SIPAT and the tequila industry also includes an agenda to address some of the main barriers faced by women growers, particularly those related to the legal recognition of their landholdings, the formalization of their activities, and access to financing. These conditions are essential to strengthening their autonomy, development, and participation in commercial markets.

“We are working in coordination with the tequila industry to give more women agave growers the opportunity to sell their harvests directly. We know that significant challenges remain, particularly regarding access to land and financing, but we want women agave growers to play an increasingly active role and have better opportunities throughout the production chain,” said Engineer José Luis Zaragoza, SIPAT Coordinator.

On the occasion of the International Day of Rural Women, the Chamber of the Tequila Industry (CNIT) reaffirms its commitment to promoting more equitable participation by rural women through initiatives that foster business connections, recognize their contributions to agriculture, and help overcome the barriers that limit the development of women agave growers in Mexico’s most representative agroindustry: the Tequila industry.

In alignment with the equality and sustainable development objectives of Beijing+30, and in the face of persistent inequalities in access to land, financing, technology, and decision-making spaces, CNIT recognizes that strengthening the participation of women agave growers is a matter of equality and, above all, an essential condition for building a more competitive, inclusive, and resilient agricultural sector.

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