female empowerment

International Day of Women and Girls in Science with Angela Falagario

Last Sunday, we celebrated the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. The initiative comes from the United Nations, in an effort to call attention to a persistent issue in terms of gender equality: the still significant gender gap in STEM all over the world. Two women who unintentionally show the way to young […]

Unravelling unconscious bias: It starts with us

by Melanie Epp When I was a kid, I loved riddles. I remember one that really stumped me. It went something like this: A father and son get into a serious automobile accident. The father dies on the way to the hospital. The boy requires surgery. In the operating room, the surgeon said, “I […]

Finalists for best female organic farmer awards announced

The European Commission has announced the finalists of the first ever EU Organic Awards, launched on 18 February 2022. A jury composed of representatives from the organising instances as well as representatives from the European Parliament and Council of the EU will select winners for the eight categories out of a total of 24 entries […]

“I think dialogue with farmers is incredibly important.”

Tessa Avermaete, Agricultural Economist Tessa Avermaete lives near Leuven, the pre-eminent university town in Belgium. She studied bioengineering with a major in agricultural economics, but discovered her love for farming on her grandparents’ farm. From her position as an agricultural economist and member of several management and advisory boards, she has a privileged view on […]

Raising cattle in the Drowned land of Saeftinghe

Kris Van Royen, beef and pig farmer, Netherlands Right on the Belgian-Dutch border, in the Prosperpolder, we find Kris Van Royen and her husband, Geert’s cattle and pig farm: Saeftingherhof. The farm specializes in a very special meat, called “pré salé meat”. Women in Ag had a talk with Kris about what that is exactly. […]

“Women in agriculture are tough cookies!”

Els Lippens, dairy farmer, USA Els Lippens grew up in Belgium, but moved to the United States with her parents almost twenty years ago. This farmer’s granddaughter learned the ropes of her trade on the dairy farm her father built from scratch in South Dakota, never to return to her home country. Today she and […]

“I feel deep respect for each of the amazing women who manage a farm”

Doris Letina, apple farmer and Vice-President of CEJA She is young, she is ambitious, she grew up on a farm and represents the second generation of women there, and she is very involved in organisations for young farmers in Europe. Women in Ag talked to Doris Letina, Slovenian apple farmer and Vice-President of CEJA, the […]

Marieke Gouda: the female owned Dutch cheese that conquered America

Marieke Penterman (44) is a proud mother of five, a farmer’s daughter in heart and soul and a passionate entrepreneur living and working in America. She left her life in the Netherlands for good in 2003 to start a dairy farm in Wisconsin with her husband Rolf. The pride of the farm is the authentic […]