-English below-
What do you picture in your mind’s eye when you speak enthusiastically about people who work in agriculture? For many, the image that immediately comes to mind is a man in rubber boots on or next to a tractor. But the reality is different: In Germany, 35% of all people employed in agriculture are women—and in sub-Saharan Africa, the figure is as high as 47%. Very few people think of women farmers, yet they are indispensable to our food security.
Weltacker International’s “Gender and Agriculture” working group is using this misconception as an opportunity to raise the visibility of women’s stories in agriculture. The UN/FAO Year of the Woman Farmer served as the impetus—an opportunity to recognize the often-invisible work of women and to bring their perspectives to the forefront.
On March 5, 2026, the initiative kicked off with the online event “Our Piece of Land.” A group of inspiring women shared their experiences and visions:
“Wow, wow, wow” kept running through my mind throughout the entire event. How strong we are. How connected we can feel. How important our strength, our solidarity, our resilience—and often our resistance—are to caring for our loved ones, our communities, and our planet.
One thing a speaker said really stuck with me:
Sustainable transformation requires precisely these qualities:
If agriculture continues to operate within rigid, gender-based hierarchies, we are undermining the very foundations of sustainable agriculture. A new image comes to mind—in addition to the man on the tractor: women farmers demanding visibility, rights, and equal access to land, resources, and a voice in decision-making.
I’d like to take this opportunity to once again thank our wonderful speakers—and all the other women farmers who work every day to advance these goals. I’m really looking forward to our next events, where I hope we’ll have more time to delve deeper into our conversations and discussions.
Let’s fight for this together!
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What comes to mind when you speak with genuine enthusiasm about the people who work in agriculture? For many, it’s immediately the image of a man in rubber boots on or next to a tractor. But the reality is different: In Germany, 35% of all people employed in agriculture are women—and in Sub-Saharan Africa, that figure is as high as 47%. Few people think of women farmers, yet they are indispensable to our food security.
The "Gender and Agriculture" working group at Weltacker International is using this misconception as an opportunity to raise the visibility of women’s stories in agriculture. The UN/FAO Year of the Woman Farmer served as a catalyst—a chance to recognize the often-invisible work of women and place their perspectives at the center.
On March 5, 2026, the initiative kicked off with the online event “Our Piece of Land.” A group of inspiring women shared their experiences and visions:
"Wow, wow, wow" kept running through my head throughout the entire event. How strong we are. How connected we can feel. How vital our strength, our solidarity, our perseverance—and often our resistance as well—are in caring for our loved ones, our communities, and our planet.
One statement from a speaker has stayed with me in particular:
Sustainable transformation requires precisely these qualities:
If agriculture continues to operate within rigid, gendered hierarchies, we undermine the very foundations of sustainable agriculture. Another image comes to mind—in addition to the man on the tractor: women farmers demanding visibility, rights, and equal access to land, resources, and decision-making.
I want to thank our wonderful speakers once again—and all the other women farmers who work toward these goals every single day. I'm really looking forward to our next events, where we will hopefully have more time to delve deeper into the conversations and discussions.
Let’s fight for this together!
Since 2022, the Weltacker Youth Council has been working with us—an exciting project that brings young people in Berlin together. They all share one goal: a voice in Berlin’s food policy!