Mario Notaro The Women in Ag Awards honor 150 women from 63 countries who are revolutionizing agriculture with technology, sustainability, and circular economy.
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The agriculture of the future has many female faces. This is demonstrated by the 150 applications received from 63 countries for the Women in Ag Awards, the international prize that DLG (German Agricultural Society) and Women in Ag Magazine award to women who are transforming the primary sector with innovation and sustainable vision.
The awards, now in their fourth edition, will be presented on November 12 during Agritechnica 2025 in Hannover, the world’s most important trade fair dedicated to agricultural machinery. The winners come from vastly different geographical and cultural contexts: Austria, Cape Verde, Congo, Germany, Jordan, Kenya, Philippines, Spain, Thailand, and the United States.
From circular economy to digital technology
The stories of the award winners tell of revolutionary approaches to contemporary agriculture’s problems. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joella Buhendwa created AstiFerme, a circular agriculture initiative that transforms household organic waste into high-quality feed and fertilizers through black soldier fly farming. Her model not only reduces pollution and emissions but also creates green jobs for youth and marginalized groups in the Bukavu community.
In Kenya, Joyce Waithira Rugano founded Ecorich Solutions, a climate-tech company that uses artificial intelligence and solar energy to convert food waste into organic fertilizer. Her Wastebot technology supports over 8,000 farmers and represents a concrete example of how technological innovation can meet the needs of sustainable agriculture.
The role of education in change
Education emerges as a key element for the sector’s future. Robyn Camille Mijares, 24 years old, founded the country’s first bamboo agricultural school in the Philippines, reaching over 98,000 students with training programs on sustainable agriculture. Her work earned her the UNDRR Women’s Rising Star award and recognition from the World Food Prize.
The jury also wanted to honor an Asian woman who, for security reasons, must remain anonymous. Her work in women’s agricultural education in a difficult context demonstrates how personal courage is often necessary to drive change in agriculture.
From scientific research to the field
The bridge between research and practical application is represented by figures like Cécile Deterre, a former particle physicist who now leads the Data Science team at Blue Planet Ecosystems in Austria. Her work applies machine learning and digital twin models to optimize land-based aquaculture systems, demonstrating how seemingly distant skills can converge in agricultural innovation.
In Spain, Cristina Mallor directs the Plant Germplasm Bank at CITA in Zaragoza, where she preserves over 18,600 seed accessions. Her work conserving local varieties represents a concrete response to global agricultural biodiversity loss, connecting science and local communities through citizen science projects.
A growing global movement
The winners’ stories reflect broader trends in the global agricultural sector: the integration of advanced technologies with traditional practices, attention to circular economy and sustainability, the growing role of women in leadership and innovation positions.
Linda Kelly in Germany has transformed locally grown sweet lupine into sustainable gourmet products, demonstrating how tradition and innovation can coexist profitably. Alicia Gómez Giménez in Cape Verde created a regenerative agritech project that uses solar energy and recycled water from hotels to produce gourmet vegetables in extreme climate conditions.
Beyond national borders
The impact of these initiatives goes well beyond national borders. Mary Johnson, with her Regeneration Hub model, operates on five continents and has supported over 65,000 families in restoring degraded land and building regenerative businesses. Zeinab AL-Momany in Jordan founded the region’s first women farmers’ union, representing 5,000 women and 27 cooperatives, achieving significant legal reforms for agricultural workers’ rights.
The award ceremony at Agritechnica will represent not only a moment of celebration but also an opportunity to reflect on how the agricultural sector is evolving thanks to women’s contributions. At a historical moment when food security, climate change, and sustainability are urgent global challenges, these women demonstrate that solutions can arise from the combination of local knowledge, technological innovation, and social commitment.
The DLG, with its over 31,000 members and network of 3,000 international experts, continues to play a bridging role between theory and practice in the agricultural sector, and these awards are concrete testimony to this.
