Alltech recently released the results of a 2019 survey involving 2,500 respondents employed in the agricultural and food sectors.  The survey was intended to gain an insight into the “professional landscape for women in agriculture.”

In commenting on the study, Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech stated, “The Women in Food and Agriculture survey revealed a great deal about where the agri-food sector stands on inclusion and illuminated where we need to collaborate to effect positive change.”  He added, “there are challenges to overcome yet there are several steps that organizations can start to take and proven examples of how to bring about success.”  The respondents represented farming (20 percent of respondents) and agri-food businesses with more than 3,000 employees (25 percent).  Three-quarters of the respondents were female.

Two-thirds of the women considered that they are well represented and three-quarters of the men surveyed supported this contention.  A divergence was noted when “respect within an organization” was considered.  A total of 59 percent of men strongly agreed that women were respected but only 32 percent of women surveyed were of the same opinion.  With respect to verbal and physical harassment, 9 percent of men said that they had witnessed unacceptable behavior in the workplace but 27 percent of the women responded in the affirmative.  Women respondents noted that equality in remuneration was an issue and three-quarters said that they lacked mentors and strong personal networks.

Dr. Lyons concluded, “now is the time to unify and effect change in the agriculture and food industries.  We must continue to collaborate and create an environment for positive, productive conversations.”