Women a force in farming sustainability

Giving women a voice in agriculture is the focus of research being undertaken by Charles Sturt University PhD student Linda Wirf. Ms Wirf’s research is part of the Soil CRC program ‘Investing in high performance soils’ led by Professor Catherine Allan from Charles Sturt University. Ms Wirf hopes to assist farmers to create a space for transformation in agricultural practice by including women’s knowledges and perspectives. “My interest in this research is shaped in my belief in the need to change agriculture to be more regenerative and environmentally sustainable and I believe that women farmers have a key role to play in this transition,” Ms Wirf said. In gathering data for her research, Ms Wirf interviewed female and male farmers, from the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, and in NSW’s Central West.

Ms Wirf is completing her PhD ‘Beyond adoption: gendered knowledges in agricultural practice change in Australia’. This research is supported by the Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soils whose activities are funded by the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centre Program.