• The European Innovation Network (EIP-Agri)   It has several agricultural innovation projects linked to women
• The new CAP 2023-2027 includes a specific objective aimed at gender equality to strengthen the role of women in the agricultural sector.

Women and science are not always interrelated concepts. Major scientific breakthroughs are often associated with male names, and many of the discoveries and discoveries perpetuated by women are forgotten.

However, the European Innovation Network (EIP-Agri) has several agricultural innovation projects linked to rural women. From inspiring initiatives, Operational Groups ,Horizon Europe projects , and so on, there are numerous illustrative examples of rural women at the forefront of agricultural innovation.

Spanish cases

In the case of Spain, we find two outstanding cases, one as an inspiring idea and the other as an Operational Group:

• Inspiring ideas- Optimizing irrigation in Spanish greenhouses   :   An irrigation project linked to Francisca Ferrer, a tomato farmer from Almería, who is testing a set of sensors to optimize the fertigation of her plants (a 11,500-square-meter multipurpose greenhouse where she grows tomatoes in the ground). This system was developed as part of a national project ( HORTISYS ) that received ERDF funding.

Their project implements environmental sensors that record solar radiation, humidity, temperature, and nitrates and potassium. This data is sent every six minutes to the software. From this online information, patterns in the soil can be identified to meet the plant's needs, avoiding water and nutrient waste.

• Operational Groups -   Cereal Water Operational Group : this project located in Álava was classified as the   "Better incorporation of young people and women into rural employment." Its mission is to make cereal cultivation more profitable in a more sustainable manner, in line with the challenges of soil protection and conservation, water conservation, integration into the landscape, and adaptation to climate change and drought.

Its objectives also include providing technical training and new business models for young people and women in the field of agricultural digitalization.

European cases

In the rest of Europe, we can also find various cases of inspiring ideas and innovative projects:

Inspiring ideas

• Improving the quality and productivity of fig trees (Portugal)
• Farmer turns grassland grazing into a climate solution (Estonia)
• European Innovation Award for Women Farmers (Ireland)
• A planning tool for reindeer herding (Sweden)
• Combating weeds with non-chemical alternatives (Portugal)
• Resilient dairy farming (Germany)

Operational Groups

• GO Figo : Improving the productivity of fig trees (Portugal)
• Digitalization of the value chain of organic bee products (Bulgaria)
• GO GAE: Natural regulation of extensive crops with agroecological practices ( France)
• Wood2Biogas : Using woody materials in biogas energy production (Finland)