Agriculture is an equal opportunities industry, according to delegates attending the Oxford Farming Conference.
The event’s annual debate, which takes place in the historic Oxford Union, explored the issue with Scots farm leaders leading the arguments for and against the motion.
Arguing in favour of the motion – this house believes that agriculture is an equal opportunities industry – first generation Perthshire farmer Michael Blanche shared his experience of getting into the sector.
Mr Blanche, who works as a knowledge transfer specialist at Quality Meat Scotland, said opportunity was a state of mind and something that could be grasped by those who worked hard.
His fellow proposer, Aled Rhys Jones, the assistant chief executive of the Royal Welsh Show, shared the story of a Welsh farmer who was left paralysed from the neck down following an accident.
Despite the disability, he was able to continue working and modified his tractor to enable this – something Mr Jones said was an example of the fact equal opportunities existed for everyone in agriculture.
Arguing the case against the motion was Scottish agricultural solicitor Linda Tinson, of Ledingham Chalmers.
Mrs Tinson said inequality was commonplace in agriculture, citing Office of National Statistics figures that state 83% of the UK agricultural workforce is male.
Women were under-represented, argued Mrs Tinson, while age inequality was also a problem with the average age of a UK farmer cited as 58.
Backing Mrs Tinson’s argument was retired first generation farmer and BBC farming journalist Gareth Barlow.
He said the fact only three out of the first 50 images found on a Google search for “farmer” were women highlighted the massive gender inequality in the sector.
Following a series of contributions from across the debating hall, a vote was taken with 175 voting aye and 158 voting nay.