Women in Agriculture Survey 2019

The American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee releases the results of its second Women in Ag Survey today. The aim of the survey is to accurately gauge not only the achievements of women in agriculture, but also their goals and aspirations, to begin the conversation about their specific needs.

The results are based on an online survey disseminated throughout Farm Bureau’s communication channels between March 17, 2019, and June 21, 2019. The 23-question survey received 3,000 responses from 49 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. The robust response led to a nationally representative report focusing on demographics, as well as women’s experiences and opinions on leadership, involvement in ag organizations, advocacy, business development and farm policy.

Highlights

According to USDA’s 2017 Census of Agriculture, women now make up 36% of the total population of U.S. farmers. This growing base of women in agriculture is an active and highly mobilized group of individuals. Of Farm Bureau members surveyed, 75% are leaders at the local government level with 45% serving as a board member or officer. The survey also indicates that 95% of respondents actively advocate for agriculture. However, the report also indicates that 91% of those surveyed believe there should be more women in leadership roles in the agriculture industry – a statistic that has remained relatively unchanged from the 2015 survey.

Download the entire report here.