Practice Abstract - Research and innovation

MEASURES TO INCREASE WOMEN’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO SUSTAINABILITY INNOVATIONS IN FARMING AND RURAL AREAS

Czechia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden

The FLIARA project has identified effective measures for promoting women-led innovations. Altogether 577 stakeholders and experts across Europe participated in teasing these out. Successful strategies to add women-led innovations in all types of rural areas include three key topics:

 

Apply social measures: Looking at the big picture of the measures to address the issue, about 80% of the proposed effective measures were social in character (examples such as good practices, education, equality, empowerment, visibility), and only 20% were ‘traditional’ administrative or economic measures (infrastructure and facilities, finance and subsidies and simplification of bureaucracy).

 

Invest in networks: Networks are by far the most effective measure to promote women-led innovations in all types of rural areas. All kinds of networks are needed: peer networks, stakeholder networks, client networks, etc. What are most needed are networks for co-creation and co-operation.

 

Remove obstacles: The single most common obstacle for women-led innovations is lack of demand for novel practices. Co-creation of progressive visions for the future and setting incentives for researching these visions creates demand for novel products, services, practices and organisations.

 

Source Project
Female-Led Innovation in Agriculture and Rural Areas
Completed | 2023-2025
Main funding source
Horizon Europe (EU Research and Innovation Programme)
Geographical location
Ireland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Czechia, Slovenia, Romania, Finland, Sweden, Belgium
Project details