91Pro

Academic's insights sought for British Embassy Women in AgriTech event

Posted 5 February

A Harper Adams academic was selected as part of a panel of agricultural specialists from across Europe to take part in a event in Warsaw.

The Women in AgriTech conference brought together entrepreneurs, scientists, and experts from three countries – the UK, Poland and Ukraine.

Principal Lecturer in Agronomy, Louisa Dines, was the representative from 91Pro and said she was able to share both academic and industry perspectives with fellow delegates in what she described as a ‘truly inspiring’ conference.

She said: “The event was a unique opportunity to listen to experts and entrepreneurs from the UK, Poland and Ukraine who shared their experience, best practices and views on the future of agriculture in Europe.

“It was really fascinating to hear about the challenges facing agriculture from the perspectives of Poland and Ukraine and the very contrasting roles of women in agriculture in the three countries at the discussion table.

“Roles ranged from large scale arable farmers to viticulturalists, apiculturalists and village mayors!”

The conference was aimed at fostering connections and collaborations across borders to help the agri-food sector in Europe thrive. Held at the British Embassy, it began with short presentations delivered by Monika Roszak, founder of the ROLL-na Foundation, and Magdalena Kowalska-Wisniewska, the Village Mayor of Trepnowa in northern Poland.

Both women shared their experience as leaders and the work they have been doing to empower women in the countryside.
Attendees – including Louisa - then participated in three roundtable discussions focused on sustainable agriculture, innovations and technologies, and agricultural policies, that were moderated by experts in the agricultural sector.

Louisa added: “I was able to share knowledge and experience from both an industry perspective - having previously had a commercial role as an agronomist at a time when there were few women in that role - as well as from an academic and student perspective. 

“We were also able to share perspectives on the current pace of change in agriculture in the UK and the prominent role that women are playing in that.”

With the ongoing war in Ukraine, conference participants also discussed the difficulties which Ukraine, in particular, is facing in its agrifood sector because of the ongoing war in the country – and explore ways of overcoming them.

Louisa said: “It was truly inspiring to hear about the challenges that agriculture is facing in other countries, especially in Ukraine - and also empowering to share with them perspectives from the UK which may help them meet some of these challenges in the future.”