Galway, Ireland, July 1–2, 2024. The FLIARA Project celebrated its inaugural Community of Practice (CoP) event, bringing together passionate individuals dedicated to supporting and accelerating women-led innovation in rural areas. Held from July 1st to July 2nd, this event marked a noteworthy achievement for the project, showcasing the remarkable progress made since its launch in January 2023.
FLIARA, or Female-Led Innovation in Agriculture and Rural Areas, is a Horizon Europe project aimed at creating a European-wide rural innovation ecosystem. The project focuses on enhancing the recognition and support of women’s contributions in agriculture through a robust network and a high-impact visibility campaign.
The FLIARA Project’s consortium has conducted extensive case studies, identifying 200 innovative practices across ten European countries: Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Sweden, Finland, Spain, Romania, and Italy. From this impressive pool, 20 FLIARA ambassadors have been chosen. During the first CoP event, the initial group of six ambassadors were presented to a wider audience and stakeholders.
The CoP event featured the introduction of the first group of FLIARA Ambassadors—exceptional women innovators selected from across the project’s case study countries. These ambassadors are at the forefront of demonstrating the innovative capacity of women in farming and rural areas, contributing to the project’s objectives of promoting sustainability across environmental, economic, social, and cultural dimensions.
During the first day, the event was officially launched with over 80 attendees at the O’Donoghue Centre of the University of Galway. Project Coordinator, Associate Professor Maura Farrell, welcomed all participants and provided an introduction and overview of the day. The opening address was delivered by Minister Pippa Hackett, Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity at the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine in Ireland emphasising the government’s commitment to gender equality in agriculture, acknowledging the crucial role of women in driving entrepreneurial and innovative activities in rural areas.
“Supporting women farmers will remain a key priority. For me personally, professionally, and within the government, gaining insight into the lived experiences of women working and living in agriculture in Ireland will inform our approach to implementing effective policies and supports to encourage and recognise the role of women in the sustainable future of agriculture and rural life in Ireland,” Minister Hackett stated.
The European Commission’s Commitment to Gender Equality
The event also featured participation from the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Commission. Equality Coordinator for DG Agri, Margaret Bateson-Missen, expressed her gratitude for the FLIARA Project and highlighted how the European Commission is working to reduce gender gaps across Europe.
A highlight of the event was the panel discussion moderated by Sally-Ann Barrett, a multimedia journalist with Freeway Media and Communications. The panel featured the FLIARA Ambassadors: Mieke Elzenga and Annette Harberink (The Netherlands), Bláthnaid Gallagher and Ursula Kelly (Ireland), Alexandra Larsson (Sweden), and Anja Frey (Germany).
A Landmark Event for Rural Innovation
The discussion also included contributions from Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Maria Walsh, Steve Dolan, CEO of Galway Rural Development along with Maura Farrell and Muireann Prendergast Postdoctoral Researcher, School of Humanities, SETU Waterford and member of the Grass Ceiling Project. They explored how research can inform policies and best practices in agriculture and rural development, highlighting the importance of gender equality in these fields.
MEP Maria Walsh emphasised the importance of translating good ideas into policy to improve the lives of people in those areas, especially women and those in agriculture. Recognising the need to learn from successful practices in other European countries, she expressed her commitment to working on these issues and acknowledged there is more work to be done.
Inaugural Event Highlights Key Policy Discussions and Future Foresight Workshops
On the second day, the event continued with workshops focused on policy development, participatory scenario development, and future foresight. These sessions brought together key actors and stakeholders to collaboratively address the challenges and opportunities for women-led innovation in rural areas.
Reflections from the FLIARA Stakeholder Advisory Board were shared by Steven Dolan and Inge Van Oost, Policy Officer AKIS coordination and CAP networks at the European Commission, wrapping up the two-day event with a forward-looking perspective on the potential of women-led innovations in rural areas.
“The FLIARA project is spotlighting women across Europe who are positively impacting the sustainability and development of rural areas and farming. Our FLIARA Ambassadors embody these efforts, and in showcasing their innovative approaches, we can learn from their experiences and create an ecosystem that empowers more women to become agents of change in rural and farming communities,” stated Project Coordinator, Associate Professor Maura Farrell.
The FLIARA CoP is a key element of the project’s visibility campaign, which aims to boost the role of women in agriculture and rural areas. The campaign seeks to inspire and empower more women to become agents of change in their communities by spotlighting the innovative achievements of the ambassadors.
FLIARA remains committed to challenging gender norms and stereotypes, increasing gender consciousness, and recognising the economic value women bring to rural economies and development. The project will continue its efforts with upcoming CoP events in Slovenia, Italy, and Sweden, where more ambassadors will be introduced.