Number of women in prominent positions in agriculture grows 38%

In addition to being pop and technological, agribusiness is increasingly feminine. According to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the number of rural establishments managed by women increased by 38% over a period of 12 years, between 1998 and 2020. This growth demonstrates that on October 15th, International Day of Rural Women, they play a fundamental role in the current success of the sector.

A 2021 survey, carried out by the Brazilian Agribusiness Association (ABAG), shows that 59,2% of women working in the area are owners or partners; 30,5% are part of the board of directors and act as managers, administrators or coordinators; and 10,4% are employees and collaborators. Furthermore, 57% actively participate in unions and rural associations. The numbers show that women are in all areas of agribusiness, whether in administrative, technical or strength-requiring roles.

In Goiás, the person responsible for coordinating the teams for assembling irrigation systems for the Pivot Group, one of the national leaders in the agricultural machinery and irrigation segment, agricultural engineer Kari Araújo, 32 years old, recognizes that there is still male resistance to the work of woman in the field, especially in command positions.

For her, what has helped to change this culture of distrust is the fact that large companies, like Pivot, place women in roles and positions that a few years ago were filled only by men. “Fortunately, this has changed a lot. Unlike what it was a few decades ago, you have many more women in the field working on equal terms with men, including in management roles”, highlights the engineer.

Commanding 25 men in his assembly teams, Kari says he has been working with agricultural irrigation for six years and is always in the field, whether with technicians or customers. “Among my responsibilities here at Pivot are guiding and monitoring these teams during the assembly of irrigation systems on farms; review the technical sheets of all the systems we work with; schedule training; I am also responsible for providing feedback to customers, clarifying some doubts”, describes Kari.

Agricultural lady

Known as the Lady of Agro, in the region of Unaí, northwest of Minas Gerais, businesswoman and rural producer Liliane Queiroz, 41 years old, is proof that the presence of women in agribusiness is a trend and synonymous with success. Winner of the 2021 Mulheres do Agro award, an award created by Bayer and ABAG, Liliane, who came from the interior of São Paulo to Minas at the age of 17, when she got married, says that for 24 years she has dedicated herself entirely to agriculture, including participating in the daily work of the farms she manages with her husband.

“I work in administration, but I make a point of being present in operations. So, if I need to go and vaccinate the cattle, I'll go, if I need to ride a horse, I'll ride it, if I have to drive a tractor, I'll do that too. I, for example, have a truck license, I need it precisely because I do a lot of operational things. But despite all this, we still have our nails done, wear lipstick, a ring, an earring. It’s this feminine touch that goes very well with the rustic farm environment that I love”, highlights the producer, when describing a little about her daily routine.

Together with her husband, Liliane manages around 2 thousand hectares of area on the family's two farms: Primavera and São José. According to her, most of the land belongs to her father-in-law, and she and her husband rent it. On one of the properties, they produce soy, sorghum, corn, and in some years, they plant beans. In the livestock sector, they create a version of the Nelore PO cattle, the Nelore Dama, which takes the name of their registered trademark, the Dama do Agro. “We also work with a rearing and fattening system”, she adds.

Conquering space

Regarding the existence of prejudice regarding the presence of women in the sector, the Lady of Agro admits that there is still resistance from some, but, according to her, this has never stopped her passion for the field. For her, women conquer their space by seeking to learn about everything on a farm, and when necessary, assert themselves. "Today, women need to have a stance, they need to be respected, not only on the field, but anywhere and in any area", she argues.

For Liliane, women in agriculture can bring a much broader and more careful view of the business, worrying about productivity, but also sustainability. “Women have a broader view of agribusiness. We were able to see and understand all sectors at once, and in a very zealous and cautious way. You have, for example, the issue of sustainability, which is a subject that women face very well”, she assesses.

Good influence

Despite not working as an influencer, Liliane admits that she ends up playing this role because of the respect she has gained in the agribusiness community in her region. She owns an Instagram profile with more than 10 thousand followers, where she shows her daily life on the farm. “It’s a profile focused on agribusiness. Right now, as we are in planting season, I show you some new technologies that we are adopting on the farm. I do live shows to demonstrate how these new machines work, we show what our production process is like. We also provide a special space for sustainability practices within agriculture”, reveals Liliane.

For Liliane, her presence and that of other women in agriculture can be a good influence for future generations. “Girls nowadays can already see that they are, indeed, capable”, she points out. But the rural producer also remembers that women cannot do everything alone and neither can men, therefore, it is not a competitive relationship between genders. “I think the entry of women into agribusiness has strengthened the work even further. Men and women need to walk side by side and not one in front and one behind”, concludes the Lady of Agro.