The current conversation on generational renewal is targeted at young males and needs to be broadened to consider young women as potential farm successors.

This is the opinion of associate professor Maura Farrell of the University of Galway, who has conducted research on women in agriculture and rural settings.

Speaking at the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Farrell said when it comes to farm succession young women need to be looked on as equals to their male counterparts.

“The whole debate around generational renewal is very much targeted at young males. It’s not targeted at young females. The idea that the young woman or the young girl can take over that farm just as successfully as the male is a conversation that needs to be had.

“We have an issue with generational renewal in that older farmers don’t even want to hand it over to males at the moment, never mind females.

“We have that issue in relation to generational renewal, but we need to make sure that women are apart of that conversation; that the option is there for the best person to take over the farm, not the best male to take over the farm. Women need to become a part of that agenda as well,” she added.

The issue of generational renewal and a possible farm retirement scheme has been in the spotlight of late, sparked by Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue establishing a commission on such in recent months.

Role in farming and rural communities

Farrell was involved in the National Dialogue on Women in Agriculture, as well as the EU-funded Female-Led Innovation in Agriculture and Rural Areas (FLIARA), project alongside university colleagues.

The FLIARA project’s research looked at the impact women have on farms and rural communities, economically, socially and culturally.

Farrel outlined that the narrative around women in farming needs to shift from solely discussing challenges, to focus on the strengths of these women.

“We’re leaving behind this idea of constantly harping on about the challenges these women have and looking really at what these women can bring to farms, to what these women can bring to rural areas,” she said.