DLG – women’s empowerment for agriculture

An award for inspiring women in agriculture world-wide and focused networking of women in the agriculture and food value chain – for the German Agricultural Society (DLG e.V.), empowering women and promoting diversity in agribusiness and the food industry has a clear strategic dimension. In order to master the considerable challenges sustainably successful agriculture entails, a diversity of creative concepts is required. This insight is being put into practice in the Female Agri Fellows Network and with the Women in Ag Award, which was conferred for the third time at EuroTier 2024 in Hanover/Germany in November.  

A woman founder from Kenya who heads a business manufacturing animal feed additives. A woman farmer and scientist from east Germany who campaigns for fair milk prices, biodiversity and sustainability. A woman development aid worker for farmers in the ASEAN region who comes from a Philippine farmer family. These outstanding and very different individuals have one thing in common. They were all recently distinguished with the Women in Ag Award 2024. The award was ceremonially conferred at EuroTier 2024, which was held in Hanover from the 12^th to 15^th November. This international prize has been jointly awarded by the Women in Ag magazine and the DLG since 2022, addressing the categories of farming, agribusiness, education, and technology and research. 

More and more women are shaping developments
 

“The role of women in agriculture, in agribusiness and in agricultural science is changing world-wide. More and more women are shaping the future of agriculture as executives on their own farm or in businesses and research and teaching. More and more women are initiators of world-wide sustainable food production and are providing impulses for it. More and more women are having an impact on the agriculture discourse as journalists, bloggers or influencers,” emphasises Freya von Czettritz, CEO of DLG Holding. 

The DLG and the Women in Ag magazine are therefore seeking to continue the success story of the award and bring pioneering women entrepreneurs and women scientists, women communicators as well as women scientists in the branch into the limelight. “After just two years, the Women in Ag Award is already enjoying a high reputation in the branch – this is reflected by the large number of women applicants and the considerable attention it has received among the public,” Kim Schoukens, Chief Editor of the digital Women in Ag Magazine notes happily. 

Success needs plurality – the new DLG Female Agri Fellows network
 

The agriculture and food systems of the future have to reconcile high productivity and maximum conservation of natural resources. In order to master this challenge, agriculture, agribusiness and the food industry need innovative brains. Above all, diversity in thought and action is required for a sustainable success. This is why the DLG launched the Female Agri Fellows in addition to the Women in Ag Award in 2023.

“Studies show that businesses with a balanced ratio of female and male staff are more successful. And organisations with teams which are diversified both with regard to gender and, for example, religious denomination or ethnic origin appear to be better positioned than those with a homogeneous staff,” notes Freya von Czettritz, explaining the strategic dimension behind the activities promoting women in the agriculture and food industry at the DLG. 

With the Women in Ag Award and the Female Agri Fellows, the DLG was seeking to make a professional contribution to a more diversified and forward-looking agriculture and food industry, the CEO of DLG Holding GmbH declared on the occasion of the Award ceremony in Hanover.

Networking with female leaders
 

The Female Agri Fellows offer women an open network in which they can discuss their concerns. The network focuses expertise and perspectives of women in different areas of the branch. In this manner, women are offered the opportunity to network individually with female leaders in agribusiness.

(DLG/wi)

More information:

Link to Women in Ag Award

Link to Women in Ag magazine