Women in agtech have made inroads when it comes to leadership but there’s a long way to go

The state of women in agtech has improved when it comes to the number of women working in the space along with the emergence of female-led investors. At the same time the agtech sector continues to be fueled by the challenges that farmers are facing including a labor shortage and the realities of climate change.

Since I started profiling women in agtech in 2016 for From Farms to Incubators there are more women founded companies or women led companies. There is the emergence of venture capital and investment funds founded or managed by women. There are more networks and communities for women in agtech even independent of broader organizations related to agriculture and food. There is more awareness and outreach when it comes to a need for funding, resources and programs that are dedicated to cultivating a new generation of youth and women working in agriculture and innovation.

There are a growing number of accelerators and incubators in this space that aim to serve as a community for women in the industry. Accelerators not only provide resources, investment, and connection to farmers, but a community for women entrepreneurs in the space. Key stakeholders in the agtech space including leaders in agribusinesses, investors, farmers, educators, policy makers and community leaders broadly agree that it is pivotal to foster a community for collaboration especially among populations that are traditionally underserved such as women and people of color.

Marian Singer is the founder of Wellntel a San Diego-based company that measures and monitors groundwater and helps industries measure groundwater says accelerators play an important role in jumpstarting companies. Singer says that the company has been a member of at least a half dozen accelerators and that they have served to connect her with other women founders. She notes that as part of the THRIVE Accelerator at least half were women in her cohort. As a member of the THRIVE Accelerator cohort in 2019 Singer says a “sub-cohort” of women developed and would discuss some unique challenges they faced including how to connect their management and leadership style with male subordinates.

Finding Connections

The importance of connection and community can’t be overstated in playing a role in helping bring more women into the field. Karen Schuett is the Co-Founder and CEO of Livestock Water Recycling, a Canadian agtech company that offers digitized manure treatment technology, where she oversees corporate strategy and innovation. The company’s milestones include being selected as the global FoodTech 500 as the highest ranking Canadian agfoodtech company, and winning the THRIVE-Forbes Innovation Icon Award at the Forbes AgTech Summit in 2019.

In 2019 Karen was Karen was tapped to join the inaugural Google for Startups Accelerator for Women Founders, and in 2020 she was named as one of Canada’s Clean 50 for 2020.

Schuett has used MaRS a Toronto-based cleantech-focused innovation hub as a platform for connecting and networking. Similar to THRIVE, MaRS includes an alumni group and Schuett has taken it upon herself to create a spreadsheet of the names and contact information of women innovators in agtech hat she frequently updates  and has shared with other female founders. One of the greatest challenges for female founders she observes is the lack of women in leadership and decision-making positions, specifically when it comes to funding and representation.

Part of the reason is there’s a lack of women investors and women-led investment outfits and women who sit on the boards of food and farming entities. Schuett notes, “When I meet with investors, I am very infrequently met with a woman who is making the investments. I feel women are not as visible and they aren’t getting the initial investments and recognition.”

The good news is there are grassroots groups and associations with the mission of connecting women in agtech including the Women in Agtech group on LinkedIn or Women in Agribusiness (WIA) that offer panels, networking opportunities and events.

Hiring can also play a significant role in bringing more women to the table especially in decision making roles, says Poornima Parameswaran, CEO and President of Trace Genomics. Trace has been intentional in diversifying its staff and half of the company’s leadership team are women and “we intend to keep it that way,” says Parameswaran, a co-founder of the soil testing company. “It’s not just about women, it’s about having that diversity of expertise, we are an interdisciplinary company. Maintaining that diversity is something very near and dear to my heart.”

Conclusion – What’s Ahead?

That said, there is still much work to be done when it comes to celebrating women innovators in agtech and encouraging more women to consider opportunities in this fast-growing space. According to Pitchbook in 2023 only 3 percent of women-founded activity made up for global agtech VC activity. All female founded startups made up 0.7 percent of activity compared to 16.5 percent for men and women. 

Some of the greatest challenges that women in agtech have faced remain attaining funding and being fairly represented on boards, both missed opportunities. In conclusion, as the world’s population is forecasted to hit 10 billion in 2050 according to the World Bank coupled with the problems rippling from climate change, there is a tremendous need for agricultural innovation technology that provides solutions to maintaining a healthy and robust global food system. A new generation of women (particularly those with backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and math) are already contributing their knowledge, passion, and expertise to create solutions to tackle farming challenges. Now is the time to foster future generations so that more women can be at the helm of the industry. 

To learn more about the Women in Agtech Directory click here.

Amy Wu is an award-winning author, filmmaker and journalist of the agtech movement and the founder of From Farms to Incubators. She can be reached at amy@farmstoincubators.com