The European Commission has launched a new “Women in Farming” platform to coincide with International Women’s Day.
The platform is designed to support women working in farming and promote equal opportunities in agriculture and rural communities, according to the Commission’s announcement issued on Sunday.
It was previously referenced in the Commission’s Vision for Agriculture and Food last year.
Women manage 32% of farms in the EU, while women under 40 manage 3% of farms, the Commission said.
It added women in farming face barriers in access to land, finance, training and other resources.
The Commission said the platform will support national mentoring schemes and the sharing of good practice between EU countries, including cross-border mentoring.
It will also encourage networking and highlight projects that others can learn from.
Mentoring and data
The platform will also “feed practical, bottom-up experience” into national and EU policymaking, the Commission said.
It will also improve the collection of gender-disaggregated data — information broken down by gender.
Under the EU’s current Common Agricultural Policy, member states have scope to introduce targeted measures for women farmers, including enhanced financial support.
In 2024, 55,300 young women received support to set up farming businesses and get additional income support.
The launch comes as the United Nations has declared 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer.
