The proportion of female business leaders in the Flemish agriculture and horticulture sectors continues to increase. Young women in particular are increasingly taking on leadership roles in agriculture, according to an article by Flemish agricultural organisation Vilt. “We can only applaud the evolution towards more gender equality in managerial positions in agriculture,” Flemish Minister of Agriculture Jo Brouns (cd&v) commented during a farm visit to the dairy farm of Lio Bollen, who took over the farm from her parents two years ago.
Today, 20 percent of all Flemish farms are headed by a woman. Five years ago, it was 19 percent. By 2023, women were farm managers of 4,857 farms in Flanders. Female farm managers are most strongly represented in the grazing animals sector such as sheep and goat farming (30%) and in pig and poultry farming (27%). The share in dairy and beef cattle farms is 12 percent.
The upward trend continues even more strongly among the younger generation. In 2023, 52 of the 199 applications for business start-up or takeover were from young female farmers (26%). By 2024, ithe number had already climbed towards 93 out of 239 applications (39%).
Interest shifts from occupational therapy to agriculture
Two years ago, the 25-year-old Limburg native Lio Bollen took over her parents’ dairy farm. She milks 55 cows and eventually plans to expand to 65 dairy cows. “We installed a milking robot with capacity for 65 dairy cows two years ago. For the slight expansion of the herd, we hope to build a new barn for the dry cows.”
“I studied occupational therapy in 2019 and was home for a long time during the pandemic. During that time, my interest in agriculture grew and my interest in occupational therapy waned.” In two years, she also wants to take over her parents’ egg farm.
“The influx of so many young agricultural women is a blessing for the much-needed generational change in our industry,” said Minister Brouns. “Only 13 percent of business leaders over 50 have a successor today. It is therefore very hopeful news that more and more young women are taking up the baton with fresh entrepreneurial spirit. Offering them security and opportunities remains our goal in the years to come.”
Good market prospects, uncertain regulatory environment
The industry-wide legal uncertainty in Flanders is also a concern for Lio and her family, although it did not affect her acquisition plans. “It is a big concern for us”, Jos Bollen, Lio’s and her four sister’s dad, says. “We certainly didn’t push our children to take over the business.”
According to him, many farmers in the region do not have that luxury, and more and more farms are disappearing. Still, in spite of the lack of succession in our industry, he believes there is a lot of potential for the future. “Both dairy farming and poultry farming are doing well. With no additional businesses, the market outlook remains favorable. Let’s hope that legal certainty returns and the regulatory burden is reduced.”
Source: Vilt.be
