The newly-formed Women in Ag Tech will hold its first official meeting July 24 at Tech Hub LIVE in Des Moines, Iowa. This new group was formed to provide women in agriculture technology with a platform to connect, engage, and build a community, according to Lara Sowinski, Group Editor for the CropLife Media Group at Meister Media Worldwide, and Co-Chair of the VISION Conference, in this recent article.
Women are currently underrepresented in the ag tech industry, as is the case in many other technology-related fields. However, the number of women in ag tech is growing, and many organizations and initiatives have emerged to support and advance women in this industry.
Despite these efforts, there is still much work to be done to achieve gender parity in the ag tech industry. Women still face many of the same challenges as in other technology fields, including unconscious bias, lack of representation in leadership roles, and pay inequality.
Women in Ag Tech is a crucial initiative for advancing and advocating for women in ag tech. The developments related to Agriculture 4.0 and ongoing expansion of digital agriculture make the initiative particularly timely.
The priorities for Women in Ag Tech include:
Advocate for women and others whose influence is not fully recognized or are underrepresented in the ag tech industry.
Raise awareness and participate in outreach activities.
Actively mentor and encourage future women in ag tech.
Build an active community for women in ag tech.
Align and collaborate with professionals and organizations in allied industries.
The first official meeting will be held at Tech Hub LIVE on July 24th from 2 – 5 p.m. at the Hilton Des Moines Downtown and interested women in the industry are encouraged to complete the online interest form, which will help further shape the initiative. The signature sponsor for Women in Ag Tech is Faegre Drinker.