Women in agriculture in the United Kingdom

Women have historically played minor roles in agriculture in the United Kingdom,[1] but the number of female farmers is rising rapidly in the 21st century. In 2008 there were 13,000 female farmers; by 2014 there were 23,000.

Member of the Women's Land Army operates a single-furrow plough on a British farm in 1914.

A 2014 survey by Farmers Weekly showed that 59% of women felt that agriculture was at least as good as other industries in equal opportunities for women. Women were also bringing money into farms through initially small diversifications into other businesses.[2] Farmers Weekly ran a television show, Farmers Apprentice, presented by the Leicestershire dairy farmer Philippa Hall.[3] In March 2016, the then Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss celebrated International Women's Day with women farmers.[4] In Scotland, too, the government and the National Farmers Union Scotland are working to promote women in agriculture in the 21st century.[5] In February 2018, the 110 year old National Farmers' Union of England and Wales elected the beef farmer Minette Batters as their first female president.[6]

See also

References
  1. Rowley, Tom (21 October 2013). "Women farmers: meet the modern-day Land Girls". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  2. Todd, Sarah (15 October 2014). "Meet five entrepreneurial women in agriculture". Farmers Weekly. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  3. Hall, Phillippa (17 October 2014). "I've seen farming's future, and there's not a flatcap in sight". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  4. "Environment Secretary salutes Britain's women farmers". Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. 9 March 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  5. "Farming sector urged to encourage more women in the industry". FarmingUK. 24 June 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  6. "NFU elects first female president". BBC. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
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