Women farmers have been urged to enter a European-wide award, with a €10,000 prize fund, that aims to showcase the women behind entrepreneurial farm projects and those who have come up with new solutions to rural challenges.
The Innovation Award for Women Farmers, which was first developed by Copa-Cogeca in 2010, will have a particular focus on three key themes this year: Sustainability, economic/ environmental and social.
Applicants must be “active women farmers and entrepreneurs” and be a member of a farming or co-operative organisation represented within Copa and Cogeca.
According to the organisers the award highlights “the contributions women make towards rural development, forestry and farming”.
“Now more than ever, rural women have a key role to play in the development and preservation of vibrant rural areas,” Copa-Cogeca stated.
“Through their engagement in local associations, municipal councils, farms and cooperatives, women are rural keystones.
“Despite this lower number, women are contributing to the development of social farming but also to further evolution of agricultural models. A number of great and groundbreaking projects are carried out by women farmers each years across the European Union.”
The organisation, which represents around 22 million European farm families, has stressed that agriculture in Europe is facing key economic, environmental and social challenges.
“We need all brilliant minds, both men and women, to overcome them in the coming years.
“We can’t foresee a strong rural Europe without including a strong agriculture women component,” it added.
Copa-Cogeca has urged women farmers to apply to the awards because it said even if they do not win they can learn from other projects and from women from across Europe.
The organisation has also highlighted what it believes are the three key reasons why women should apply this year which include to:
- Inspire and get inspired by other female farmers;
- Get visibility for a project at the highest European political level and benefit from a professional promotional video;
- Win a prize – the winner of the award will receive a cash prize of €10.000 while the jury’s favourite will also receive a cash prize of €5000.
The closing date for applications to the Innovation Award for Women Farmers is March 31, 2023.