GAIA, between innovation and women’s drive for agriculture

Agriculture today combines tradition, innovation and the desire for change. In a context of change in agricultural work while retaining its essence, in the service of sustainable food. The agriculture of tomorrow is innovative, and also imposes itself on women.

Agriculture does not know the crisis

Despite the current situation, which is paralyzing a large number of sectors of activity, agriculture is not experiencing the crisis. Indeed, it is rightly regarded as an essential sector. A sector that is at the origin of the food chain, which provides a vital food supply for humans.

The Chambers of Agriculture are mobilizing to support farmers during the pandemic. Advice, and the guarantee of keeping the sites open, with full activity.

Other solidarity schemes are also emerging such as “Leboncoin des prairies”. It is a platform for connecting farmers with a meadow and resources available for livestock or horses… And farmers looking for an area to settle temporarily. The current period, unprecedented, is also a symbol of solidarity and mutual aid. For example, three farmers around Bordeaux offer one-hectare meadows or hay.

Driven by the Chambers of Agriculture, this system is a real helping hand for farmers. A useful way to render service, to continue to support this sector so essential for the whole country.

A sector at the heart of innovation

Agriculture now faces many challenges to remain profitable while ensuring quality production. In this sense, technological innovation has been at the heart of agriculture for many years. This is the case, for example, with the use of drones, allowing farmers to manage the monitoring of their farms and thus organize the harvest schedule. It also saves farmers time and money. Indeed, the intelligent weather is growing massively among farmers and reveals a great efficiency. Thus, it allows us to anticipate or not watering the farms and thus better organize his time and water consumption.

In addition, it is not only technologically that the agriculture sector is moving forward, but also internally, at the heart of human management. Thus, rethinking the management style of the agricultural sector is precisely the entry point of the GAIA network. Indeed, GAIA is the result of the meeting of 50 rural women from the region (1). The first network of “agri-cultures” women in New Aquitaine, it aims to set up an exchange network for women in the agricultural sector, based on the affirmation of their leadership and their projects.

Agriculture is a sector that is feminized, driven by innovation.

The revival of women’s agriculture: “Agri-Cultures”

Like GAIA, local and national initiatives are multiplying… Indeed, these movements are part of the dynamic of reviving the activity of the agricultural sector. In particular, they follow the ecological transition. For example, the Recovery Plan enabled the release of 1.2 billion euros (2) to accelerate the movement by helping farmers financially after the COVID-19 crisis. In particular, it implements the renewal and modernization of agricultural machinery. More efficient at the environmental level, they also allow to adapt to climate change.

The enhancement of local trade is also an axis of the GAIA network. The mutual aid between rural women of New Aquitaine allows a dynamic activity at the regional level. Indeed, the health crisis allows the French to refocus on the local and therefore on the farmers of their region. Also more concerned with the environment and livestock practices, they are moving towards organic farming, especially in short circuit. Thus, 69% of French people are now ready to consume more responsibly since COVID-19 (3). An opportunity for agriculture to work for “his” world of tomorrow.

Sources:

  1. Press release: 50 rural women from New Aquitaine create GAIA, the first network of Agri-Cultures Women in New Aquitaine (09/10/2020)
  1. Ministry of Agriculture and Food – Recovery Plan: 1.2 billion euros dedicated to the agricultural transition, food and forest component to prepare for the agriculture of tomorrow (03/09/2020)
  1. LSA: Post-Covid-19 consumption: 69% of French people want to consume differently
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