Revamping EU Agriculture to include women farmers

It was an important outcome of their review of the CAP, a unified policy on agriculture in the EU and the oldest EU policy still in place. Jessica Duncan and Bettina Bock, experts in food policy and inclusive rural development, observed that women farmers face exclusion from agricultural policies in numerous ways. "The enduring stereotype is that farmers are male, and this bias is evident in policies regarding land access, farm financing, and training," Duncan explains. The evidence of these disparities is clear. "Women frequently face greater challenges than men in securing financing for farming and innovations. Also, the formal status of women on farms is inadequately addressed both legally—where typically sons inherit farms from their fathers and widowed farming women lose access to the farm—and culturally—where male farmers are more often groomed for future farming roles than female farmers," Bock adds.

The critical role of women in sustainable agriculture

This persistent exclusion poses challenges for future farming systems in Europe and beyond. Worldwide, rural areas are experiencing depopulation, and farmers struggle to find successors. Additionally, the urgent need to transition to more sustainable food systems calls for revitalising farming practices. In her research, Bettina Bock shows that women are key to solving this puzzle: “Our analysis reveals that women play a crucial role in agro-ecological farming systems and in farms that are part of short supply chains, which help connect agriculture and food production more closely with urban citizens and consumers. However, since this type of farming usually occurs on a smaller scale, women face difficulties accessing financial investors, who prefer to back more traditional, large-scale operations.”

Redefining innovation to women in farming

Farming practices often pioneered by women, such as integrating farming with educational programmes, tourism, or local farm shops, are frequently not recognised as 'innovations.' “There's a prevailing emphasis on technological rather than social innovations and innovators engaged in large productivity-oriented projects in both policy and investment,” notes Bock, “which also undermines women’s recognition, and self-confidence, as innovators and entrepreneurs.”

Problematic stereotypes for farmers and entrepreneurs

Valentina C. Materia, associate professor of innovation and entrepreneurship at WUR, collaborates with Bock on the three-year GRASS CEILING project, which focuses on gender equality in rural and agricultural innovation systems in Europe. Materia -focusing on agri-food systems and entrepreneurship- draws similar conclusions to Bock. "Entrepreneurial stereotypes are heavily male-biased, portraying them as risk-takers and profit-driven, often depicted as businessmen in major cities rather than farmers in rural areas, let alone female farmers with entrepreneurial orientations," she says. These stereotypes fail to recognise the critical role that women innovators and entrepreneurs play in transforming food systems and enhancing the well-being of their families and communities

Considering the typical portrayal of farmers, similar stereotypes persist. This bias is even embedded in policy language across many countries. “Several languages have gender-specific terms for farmers — for example, 'boer' for male and 'boerin' for female in Dutch. However, only the male term commonly appears in policies.” This portrayal is problematic because it often excludes women entrepreneurs from statistics and policies.

Innovation is not just fireworks

Materia’s research, conducted in both the Global South and the Global North, reveals that these observations are universally applicable. Women farmers are more engaged in social innovation, effectively addressing societal challenges such as collective wellbeing and biodiversity loss, yet their contributions are greatly undervalued. Women also struggle to recognise their own entrepreneurial potential, prompting the GRASS CEILING project to develop and deliver training materials for this target group. "Innovation is often associated with fireworks: spectacular, short-term, results," she notes. "Women demonstrate a much longer-term resilience to the many challenges they face and a remarkable capacity for sustainable change when innovating. This is undervalued.”

Revamping EU agricultural policy

In a comprehensive analysis of current EU agricultural policies undertaken as part of the SWIFT project, Jessica Duncan and her team have formulated key recommendations for the forthcoming revision of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which is setting its 2027-2032 framework. “First, we need to stress the importance of prioritising gender equality, along with the adoption of more sustainable farming practices as specific objectives within member states’ national strategies,” she says. “Systematic gender mainstreaming within the CAP is crucial and must be consistently integrated into policies.” Describing the CAP as a critical yet complex "beast", she highlights its potential to drive substantial systemic change, benefiting not just women but the entire agricultural sector.

Inclusion of economics, social and environmental goals

Bock stresses the crucial role women play in sustaining rural economies by engaging in diverse activities like education and local resale, which enhances the livability of rural areas. Building on the insights from the GRASS CEILING project, she, along with Materia, is now developing robust networks and specialised training for women farmers. "Being part of a supportive network significantly boosts the confidence and morale of women farmers," Bock notes. Materia adds, "While male and female farmers perform similar tasks, their motivations differ. Women not only preserve traditional knowledge but are also more engaged in enhancing social cohesion and rural livability, with a keen interest in agro-ecological farming. This demonstrates their commitment to achieving multifaceted outcomes that include economic, social, and environmental goals. It’s crucial for these diverse motivations and objectives to receive equal consideration in policy-making, training programmes, and financial support."