Aiming to ease access for Galway women in farming
Women have always played a critical role in Irish agriculture – and yet they represent just 13.4% of farm holders in Ireland. This has seen the level of supports available to women in agriculture coming increasingly under the spotlight – and that formed the basis of a recent workshop event hosted by Teagasc at its Ashtown Conference Centre, Dublin.
The workshop was also designed to help inform Teagasc research and knowledge transfer activities to further support women in agriculture.
Two Galway contributors were among the key speakers – Ursula Kelly, Managing Director of Cormac Tagging and FLIARA Project Ambassador, and Dr. Aisling Murtagh of EU FLIARA and University of Galway.
The FLIARA – Female-Led Innovation in Agriculture and Rural Areas – project also released key findings from its work in this area, which were shared by Anne Kinsella, Senior Economist in Teagasc.
These in turn made up part of the content of a policy booklet titled: ‘Infrastructures for Female-Led Innovation in Agriculture and Rural Areas’.
Key takeaways from this publication included the need to address the social and cultural conditions affecting women-led rural and farm innovation – and the removal of barriers in policy support systems.
It also emphasised the importance of mechanisms to improve access to finance, knowledge and skills development – and the need to recognise women-led innovation as an untapped opportunity for strengthening rural and farm economies.
Opportunities exist to improve and increase female participation and to develop, grow and support female involvement,
Anne Kinsella said that a review of existing research on women in agriculture in Ireland will be completed as part of the action plan.
“This will involve examining work carried out over the past decade, with projects such as GENFARMS, HER-SELF and the EU FLIARA project,” she said.
“It is hoped that this review will highlight gaps in existing women in agriculture research and identify opportunities for further research,” she added.
Opening the event, Teagasc Director of Knowledge Transfer, Dr. Stan Lalor said that Teagasc recognised ‘the essential role women play in agriculture and farming’.
“Opportunities exist to improve and increase female participation and to develop, grow and support female involvement,” he told delegates.
“The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations has declared 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer. This is a major opportunity to springboard Teagasc’s activity in supporting women in agriculture and the continued roll out of the ‘Supporting Women in Agriculture Framework’,” he added.
Speakers also included Dr. Martina Roche, HER-SELF Project, Maynooth University, and dairy farmer Vanessa Kiely O’Connor, ICOS nominee to the Teagasc Authority.