Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 October 2021
21. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the proposals he intends to bring forward to increase the number of recognised female farmers as part of the CAP strategic plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51083/21]
View answerThe CSO Labour Force Survey 2019 showed that 13% of workers in the primary agriculture, forestry and fishing sector were female. For 2020, the figure was 15%, the highest since 2010. The CSO’s 2016 Farm Structure Survey recorded 71,700 women working on farms, of which less than one quarter (16,100) were farm holders.
My Department’s records currently show 26,507 women farming either solely or in a joint venture, whereas the corresponding figure for men is 128,167.
The new CAP Regulations place particular focus on promoting the participation of women in the socio-economic development of rural areas, with special attention to farming. Member States are required to strengthen their capacity in gender mainstreaming and in the collection of sex disaggregated data.
The SWOT analysis in preparation for Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) identified gender inequality as a weakness, while the economic benefits of increasing female participation was identified as an opportunity.
The Needs Assessment for the CSP points to the need to increase opportunities for women in agriculture and business development. I have engaged extensively with stakeholders on the future of CAP, including on supports to promote gender equality, and the development of the new CSP continues in advance of the end-of-year deadline.
In addition, the new stakeholder strategy for the Irish agri-food sector, Food Vision 2030, recognises the important contribution of women to the sector's long-term sustainability and includes a number of actions to promote and improve gender balance at all levels, and proposes holding a national dialogue on women in agriculture.
More can be done in this space and I am committed to delivering greater numbers of female farmers in Ireland.
