Welcome to New AG International’s second e-book focusing on Women in Agriculture. At New AG International we have promoted the role of women in agriculture through a specific award. Our second winner was announced at New AG International’s Annual event in Warsaw, Poland and went to FBSciences CEO Courtenay Wolfe. We include the recording of the live-stream of the award announcement and Courtenay’s acceptance speech in this e-book.
One of the themes from this issue is the variety of roles that women play in agriculture and the advance of technology has served to increase these opportunities. Whether it be in the laboratory, or in high-tech greenhouses or vertical farms, there are now various routes into the agricultural sector. We spoke to Valeria Contartese, Director of R&D at Greenhas Group. She spoke of the need to modernize agriculture with younger people, both male and female. When it came to the choice of practical or academic routes for women, she said that there isn’t a right answer, and depends on the individual and their particular interests. Contartese spoke favourably of the gender mix in her company Greenhas Group. Although she did note that there is still a gender gap in decision-making positions among the environmental ministries, according to a paper that she referenced. She ended by saying: “We have not to “think like a man” to move up in our careers but we need to trust that we can achieve any position also in the agricultural sector.”
We don’t have to “think like a man” to move up in our careers, but we need to trust that we can achieve any position also in the agricultural sector.
In our second interview, we speak to Revital Kremer is Chief Technology Officer at SupPlant, a company whose ambitious vision is to digitally inform every irrigation decision on earth. Revital demonstrates the various routes into agriculture, having been in technical positions in various sectors: gaming, defence,
network management systems. When asked what guidance she would offer to other women who may want to follow in her footsteps she said: “No doubt that both high-tech and agriculture are man-dominated arenas. However, it is only matter of finding the right company with the right culture that embraces diversity and measures employees by professionalism and not by gender or demographic parameters.”
We hope you enjoy this e-book. If you would like to participate in future e-books, either on this subject or on specialty fertilizers, biological products, precision agriculture please e-mail me and our editor Janet Kanters. ●
Editor-in-Chief Luke Hutson
Editor Janet Kanters
Front cover image: Credit: Duncan McGlynn, Blackdot Photography Sarah Auld, Research Assistant at Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS), assesses broccoli seedlings at IGS’ Crop Research Centre, Dundee, UK
