• The Association of Women of Agri-Food Cooperatives of Spain (AMCAE) held its annual meeting under the title "Committed to Innovation in the Agri-Food Cooperative Sector."
• The event emphasized the leadership of women cooperative members in innovative projects with a direct impact on rural areas.

On March 5 , the headquarters of the Dcoop cooperative in Antequera (Málaga) hosted the national meeting "Women from cooperatives committed to innovation in the agri-food sector," organized by AMCAE , the Association of Women from Agri-Food Cooperatives of Spain. The event brought together around 100 women from all over Spain, united under the theme: "Women from cooperatives committed to innovation in the agri-food sector."

Thus, the objective of this national meeting of women cooperative members was to learn firsthand about innovative projects developed by women that have a clear impact on the development of their rural areas.

Projects

The event featured a roundtable discussion—"Women from cooperatives leading projects with an impact in rural areas"—which showcased innovative initiatives led by women, such as:

• Grass Ceiling : a community program involving 70 women from eight European countries (including Spain) dedicated to closing the gender gap in the agricultural sector.
• “We Grow Together” Program : a set of initiatives developed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) and Caixabank , aimed at promoting and giving visibility to the work of women in rural areas at the national level.
• ' Educaceite ': a project by Juana María Tiscar Gómez, winner of the Andalusian Regional Government's Agriculture Department Award, aimed at promoting Andalusian oils among both industry professionals and general consumers, from children to adults.
• Sociedad Cooperativa Galega A Carqueixa : a cooperative focused on the production of Galician beef from extensive and transhumant livestock farming. It was awarded the 2023 Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food "Excellence Award for Rural Women's Innovation" in the agricultural activity category.

Generational change

The event highlighted the high aging rate in the agricultural sector, with at least 200,000 producers reaching retirement age in the coming years. A gap they point to must be filled by "women and young people." Hence, Dolores Calvo, president of AMCAE, stated that "we are veterans, but also a source of wisdom to pave the way for generational change."

In this regard, the event sought to emphasize the message that "we must continue to advance new initiatives and projects that have a direct impact on both the territories and the rural population."