EU CAP Network Workshop: Womenled innovations in agriculture and rural areas

The EU CAP Network workshop titled `Women-led innovations in agriculture and rural areas convened in the picturesque city of Krakow, Poland, spanning one and a half insightful days, from Wednesday 17 April to Thursday 18 April 2024. Over 80 people, hailing from 24 EU countries, came together to explore, showcase, network and champion innovations spearheaded by women in agriculture and rural areas across the EU. The workshop brought together women currently at the helm of innovation, as well as those aspiring to lead, alongside advisors, researchers, community activists, policymakers, and other key stakeholders. Together, everyone engaged in a dynamic workshop filled with information sharing and interactive sessions. The key aim of the workshop was to empower women in farming and rural areas through knowledge exchange, highlighting successful projects led by female innovators, and fostering networking opportunities. It sought to achieve this by: exploring EU programmes supporting women in agriculture showcasing innovative initiatives led by women entrepreneurs identifying their needs and barriers to business development promoting women-friendly entrepreneurship ecosystems facilitating networking among participants to support womendriven innovation and entrepreneurship in rural areas An official welcome on day one, given by Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle, Director for Strategy and Policy Analysis, DG AGRI, European Commission, set the scene for one and a half days of activities ranging from keynote talks to field trips and interactive and plenary sessions. Amid the discussions, debates and conversations, the following key messages emerged: challenges still lie in access to finance, changing perceptions and addressing stereotypes, family, and care responsibilities provide networking opportunities, mentorship, knowledge sharing and promoting innovation examples empower young women to consider career paths in the world of agriculture and in rural entrepreneurship improve market access for diverse products produced via women-led innovations emphasise local-global interconnectedness and showcase female farmers and rural entrepreneurs through national networks.