What is the strength of female agricultural entrepreneurs in the immediate future?
That question was central during the annual networking day of LTO Noord Vrouw & Bedrijf (LTO North Women & Business). Friday, 4 April 2025, was a day full of inspiration, interaction, and connections. The goal was to gain knowledge and think about the future together. Bettina Bock (professor of inclusive rural development) and Marloes van Schaik (dairy farmer and strategic policy advisor for Multifunctional Agriculture) led a workshop on female leadership and the GRASS CEILING project.
The theme of the networking day was explored in five inspiring workshops.
Bettina Bock and Marloes van Schaik actively sought the key to female leadership with the participants and what women need to make the most of their strength as female farmers. In two rounds of workshops, the participants discussed what agricultural women already do in terms of volunteer work, what motivates them, and what holds them back. This sparked strong recognition and resonance among participants during the discussion. They debated about whether to use KPIs (% of women on the board) and how a job vacancy should be worded in order to appeal to women in particular.
Marloes, a participant in the GRASS CEILING Living Lab, then spoke about her topic: how to get more women on agricultural boards. Bettina concluded with a presentation on the structure of the project and the current state of knowledge about female entrepreneurship. Both workshops also addressed the question of whether GRASS CEILING will be continued, as there were several interested parties. It was a valuable day!
