• CIHEAM Zaragoza hosts the eighth meeting of Spain’s agricultural entrepreneurs under the GRASS CEILING European project on 8-9 April.

Zaragoza, 9 April 2025.- The latest meeting of the Spanish Living Lab, part of the European GRASS CEILING project, has concluded today. During the two-day event, participants have echoed sentiments shared across the project’s international network, highlighting that the gender gap remains a persistent obstacle in rural areas and the agricultural sector. Despite their vital role, women entrepreneurs continue to face significant barriers, even though they bring expertise, innovation and meaningful contribution to local economies and social development.

As a member of the GRASS CEILING consortium, CIHEAM Zaragoza hosted the two-day event, which brought together twenty Living Lab members and stakeholders, including eight women entrepreneurs leading agrifood businesses in scarcely populated territories of Aragon, Asturias, Castile and León.

These entrepreneurs are implementing innovative processes on their farms, ranging from the adoption of high-tech equipment to the digitalisation of technical operations, and management and administrative processes. They are also incorporating new crop rotations to promote environmental sustainability.

A notable distinction in their approach, compared to many of their male peers, is the integration of social innovation. These women are working actively to increase the visibility of women’s roles in rural life by establishing networks, offering training opportunities and facilitating knowledge exchange. Several participants are already involved in such initiatives and others are planning to do so in the near future.

Environmental stewardship is another defining feature of their work. Many women are creating sustainable business models that make use of local materials and food products, often delivering direct to customers so as to minimise dependence on complex and costly supply chains.

The women gathered in Zaragoza have demonstrated that women-led businesses help local communities to thrive. However, they continue to face deep-rooted stereotypes and traditional gender roles that make their work invisible. Many also struggle to find time to develop their businesses, either because of the demands of farm work or because they have to tend to family responsibilities.

Women in the farming sector also have to address a number of specific issues that hinder their innovation work. The high costs of advanced agricultural technology, together with structural difficulties in the sector such as volatile markets, rising production costs, and complex European regulations, etc. deter many women from investing in innovation because of the technical and economic risks involved.

During the meeting they also discussed the lack of telecommunication infrastructures in rural areas, inadequate general services, the burden of excessive bureaucracy and inappropriate regulations for rural areas.

The women explored ways to overcome these obstacles and studied a range of potential public and private support mechanisms, exchanging ideas on how institutions could be reinforced or reoriented to improve the welfare of rural women and integrate more women entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector. The support mechanisms are based on four pillars: individual empowerment to break down stereotypes and traditional expectations; improved rural services and infrastructure; financial support for women in agriculture; and reforms to governance and agricultural policies.

Other topics debated during the meeting included the importance of training and advisory services in sustainable innovation, the value of collaborative work via associations, cooperatives and support networks, the need for greater representation of women in decision-making roles, promotion of shared family responsibilities, and actions to elevate the status and quality of life in rural areas.

How does GRASS CEILING contribute to the EU gender equality objectives?

The project offers practical solutions for rural and gender policy-making by identifying inequalities in agriculture and rural communities across the EU. It is drawing up policy recommendations based on in-depth analysis to help the European Commission better deliver on its gender equality commitments. The Living Lab model supports innovating women and helps to create employment in remote rural areas and improve the situation of women running their own business.

GRASS CEILING has worked closely with women from local communities in the nine countries engaged in the project, developing a model that provides access to training, mentorship, resources, and a platform for debate and exchange of ideas. This participatory research approach empowers women to develop new business ideas and strengthen the local economic and social fabric of their regions. The Living Labs are an essential part of the GRASS CEILING project. They are interactive innovation hubs, led by and for women. They support women entrepreneurs as well as policy-makers and support organisations in the countries involved in the consortium and across the EU.