On 3 December 2025, the GRASS CEILING project held its final consortium meeting, reflecting on three years of work to advance gender equality and women-led innovation in agriculture and rural areas across Europe.
Thanks to the project, we have connected women innovators from across the continent with key stakeholders and policy makers through Living Labs and the European Policy Forum. These interactions have fostered knowledge exchange, collaboration, and the co-creation of solutions for rural communities.
During the final consortium meeting, we also presented the overall results of the project, including the launch of the Rural Pact Community Group of Women in Rural Areas, which will continue the dialogue and engagement initiated through the Policy Forum (link).
The lessons learned throughout the project have been compiled in an online academy, giving rise to a MOOC accessible to anyone interested in learning about Gender Equality in Rural and Agricultural Innovation Systems (link). This platform shares best practices, insights, and practical guidance on the project’s approach, helping to inspire and support future women innovators.
To complement these outputs and showcase the project’s main conclusions and achievements, we have produced a new video featuring the experiences of several key project participants. In the video: Professor Sally Shortall outlines the project’s vision and achievements; Torunn Bjerkem from Norway reflects on her journey as a Living Lab innovator; Serafín Pazos-Vidal (AEIDL) discusses the European Policy Forum; Patrizia Pugliese (CIHEAM Bari) presents the online academy and MOOC; and Ksenija Simovi (Copa-Cogeca) highlights the importance of connecting women innovators with stakeholders.
As Professor Sally Shortall, GRASS CEILING coordinator, highlights, the project has shown the immense value of creating spaces where women can come together, share knowledge, and develop their skills—especially when supported by dedicated platforms and forums. Reflecting on the lessons learned, she notes the importance of listening to women farmers’ needs and adapting structures and processes to better support them. With the right encouragement and resources, there is no limit to what these women innovators could achieve, and GRASS CEILING has laid the groundwork for this future.