The question remains unchanged, but the landscape has shifted. What is the state of women innovators and entrepreneurs in agtech? Are there more women in the field and if so, why? What challenges and opportunities remain when it comes to creating a new generation of talent in this growing field?

In 2016 I set out to find women founders of agtech companies, to tell their stories with the mission of amplifying their contributions. Broadly speaking agtech was defined as any innovation that helped farmers grow more efficiently. I was a reporter for a local newspaper in Salinas, Calif. and observed the dearth of women leaders in agriculture. Was this the same case in a nascent sector called agtech?

Beginning with the Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology (WGCIT) in Salinas, I asked the question “Do you know of any minority women entrepreneurs in agtech?” to nearly everyone I encountered — agribusiness leaders, government officials, farmers and educators. I was met with silence. After repeatedly asking the question, I found a few stories of female entrepreneurs in the agtech space who courageously shared both the challenges and opportunities in agtech. Their stories were documented in a short documentary and book.

A Bright Light

Turn the clock to today and the bright light is that anecdotally there are more women entrepreneurs and innovators in a growing sector that connects to the greater food ecosystem. While there are no official hard data and analytics as measurement, anecdotally not a week goes by where I don’t receive an email or call asking me if I’ve heard of a particular woman in agtech and whether I’d connect with her to tell her story.

Pam Marrone, the founder of Marrone Bio Innovations, and an early player in the space asserts that “the pace of women-founded startups in agriculture continues at a fast pace. I have not seen any slowdown in the formation of new, innovative companies led by women.” Areas of growth include crop imaging, biopesticides, biostimulants, bionutrients, smart traps, and artificial intelligence (AI).

“Women founders think they can have greater impact forging their own path with a startup,” says Marrone who more recently founded The Invasive Species Corp., a public benefit company to deploy biologicals to control invasive pests in water, forestry, and agriculture. “The founders are amazing at early proof of concept and drive, with experience and sophistication.”

In part this has been sparked organically with women uplifting women, essentially when it comes to building a community of women connecting and helping each other. Vonnie Estes, vice president of innovation at the International Fresh Produce Association, and as part of her job she focuses on bringing technology to the produce industry across the supply chain.

Estes also leads the IFPA’s Fresh Field Catalyst Accelerator, which she launched in 2022. In the first cohort, nine out of 12 companies chosen as participants in the programs were women.

“The number of women is growing mostly because women are supporting women. When women are in positions of power, which is happening slowly, they bring more women in,” Estes says.

SVG Ventures, which runs several global agrifood accelerator programs, reports that the percentage of applications for its THRIVE Academy Program (12-week agrifood pre- accelerator program) that had a female founder/co-founder was 38% this year, which is higher than normal. Approximately 40% of the accepted companies in the latest cohort are female led, a 20% rise from the first Academy program held in the fall of 2022. A few key areas that female-led companies are focused on include food distribution/grocery, precision agriculture and digital farm management, crop nutrition and waste reduction/food security.

The Funding Conundrum

Funding has been a challenge for women led companies especially coming from the venture capital channel in part because venture capital remains male-dominated and because agriculture has not been a magnet for investors. But this too is shifting ever so slightly with the emergence of a handful of female investors.

Seeking Solutions

The growth of the overall agtech sector and women in the space has ignited a demand for connection. I had often compared the journey of women founders in agtech to climbing Everest. Multiple challenges included funding, finding farms to beta test their innovations, and building a team. And while many of those hurdles continue to exist there are milestones that show that women in agtech have come a long way.

The women in agrifoodtech directory (collectively managed by a group of women leaders in agtech) has grown to over 850 names, women globally who have submitted their names and contacts keen on connecting with women in the field for collaboration, mentorship, and friendship. Since launching the women in agtech group/community on LinkedIn in 2021 it has grown organically to over 150 women agtech who share everything from job opportunities to book recommendations and events. We continue to tell the stories of women in agtech with Portraits with the mission of inspiring the next generation of girls and women to consider the many opportunities in food, farming and innovation.

Change occurs stride by stride and is driven by partnerships. A renowned African Proverb aptly describes what has fueled the incremental change that has occurred since my search started in 2016, “If you want to run fast, run alone. If you want to run far, run together.” In the meantime, the question remains unchanged and the landscape is hopeful.