The lack of female representation at Scotland’s farming union has been questioned by MSPs.
Representatives from the Scottish Government-led Women in Agriculture taskforce were asked why they thought NFU Scotland (NFUS) had no female directors on its board during an evidence session to Holyrood’s rural economy and connectivity committee.
None of the three taskforce members –Scottish Land and Estates chief executive Sarah-Jane Laing, Easter Ross farmer Anne Rae MacDonald, and Professor Sally Shortall from Newcastle University – were keen to pass judgment on the union’s gender balance.
North-east Lib Dem MSP Mike Rumbles asked why NFUS had no female board members while the Scottish Crofting Federation had three women on its nine-person board.
Prof Shortall, who led Scottish Government research into the role of women in agriculture, said the difference between the two organisations could be due to more women being directly involved in running crofts in comparison to those running farms.
Ms MacDonald agreed and said: “It’s well documented that there’s a significant proportion of women actively involved in crofting and I suspect that may be an influential factor in this.
“I’m also aware that the NFUS board is influenced by the election procedures which stem from the grass-roots level.”
Aberdeen South and North Kincardine SNP MSP Maureen Watt said cultural changes in farming organisations, such as NFUS, needed to start from the bottom up.
She said: “Otherwise we are never going to get a Minette Batters (NFU England president) in Scotland.
“We have seen from the taskforce that there are women able to do the jobs; it just seems there is a block.”
When contacted for comment, the NFUS said it had a good gender balance in its staff body, but acknowledged that women were “significantly under-represented” on its board and committees.
Gemma Cooper, who is head of the union’s policy team, said nominations were sought for committee members and the presidential team and this was open to any family member in a farm business that is a member of the NFUS.