MANAGING director of FMC Australia Kristina Hermanson is direct about her goals in terms of increasing diversity in Australia's agriculture sector.
"I want to see more women on boards in agricultural businesses," Ms Hermanson, who heads up FMC's Australian / New Zealand and south-east Asian divisions, said.
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With National Ag Day on today (November 17) Ms Hermanson said it was a good time to reflect on the impact of women in agriculture and how they could be included more in decision-making levels positions.
She said she was encouraged by the increasing ratio of women in agriculture at a grass roots level but said more needed to be done at a managerial and executive level.
"At present around 6 per cent of ag businesses have a female in chief executive roles, if ag is to be truly innovative that figure won't cut it," she said.
Ms Hermanson is doing more than just talk the talk on pushing for equality in the workplace.
She was a catalyst in FMC creating the FMC LEAD (Learn Evolve Apply Develop) Program, which launched earlier this year.
The FMC LEAD program, combined with other partnerships, aims to retain talent in ag and support those talented individual as they look to apply for more senior positions.
"I believe it is my duty to see industry take the front foot on this one, it is something I am very passionate about," Ms Hermanson said.
"We're looking at how we can retain these women in the ag workplace and how we can see them develop," she said.
The LEAD program has won cross industry support, with a number of other agribusinesses and farmer organisations, such as the National Farmers Federation getting involved.
She said LEAD participants would have access to tailored education.
"We can help them with their ideas, whether they are looking at entrepreneurial opportunities or whatever they are into," she said.
"The idea is that we help produce women who are board ready when it is done."
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Gregor Heard
Gregor Heard is ACM's national grains industry reporter, based in Horsham, Victoria. He has a wealth of knowledge surrounding the cropping sector through his 15 years in the role. Prior to that he was with the Fairfax network as a reporter with Stock & Land. Some of the major issues he has reported on during his time with the company include the deregulation of the export wheat market, the introduction of genetically modified crops and the fight to protect growers better from grain trader insolvencies. Still involved with the family farm he is passionate about rural Australia and its people and hopes to use his role to act as an advocate for those involved in the grain sector.
Gregor Heard is ACM's national grains industry reporter, based in Horsham, Victoria. He has a wealth of knowledge surrounding the cropping sector through his 15 years in the role. Prior to that he was with the Fairfax network as a reporter with Stock & Land. Some of the major issues he has reported on during his time with the company include the deregulation of the export wheat market, the introduction of genetically modified crops and the fight to protect growers better from grain trader insolvencies. Still involved with the family farm he is passionate about rural Australia and its people and hopes to use his role to act as an advocate for those involved in the grain sector.
