WFA Mentorship Program

About the program

The WFA Mentorship Program is now accepting applications for 2022! Along with our supporting partner, Alltech, we are building on the success of the 2021 program to continue our support of women in ag, promote a more equitable workplace environment and further cultivate the WFA community. WFA and Alltech invite you to join other professionals from around the world, as we connect women across the agri-food industry with mentors to champion their career success and help shape the next generation of leaders in the industry. The mentorship program facilitates meaningful conversations and mutual support while providing a valuable networking experience.

What is the significance of mentorship to women in food and agriculture?

In 2019, WFA and Alltech partnered to launch the Women in Food & Ag Survey, which has consistently revealed that a lack of mentorship is a barrier to success for women working within the agri-food industry. We want to do something about that! To help address the gap, we are converting insight into action through the Women in Food & Ag Mentorship Program.

The 2021 mentorship program

In February 2021, WFA matched 120 mentors and mentees to support women seeking to develop their careers within the food and agriculture sector. From farmers to CEOs, and scientists to ag-tech innovators, participants were matched with counterparts that complemented their aims and work experience.

The feedback from our initial cohort has been overwhelmingly positive and informs the way forward as we continue to provide an enriching mentorship experience for all participants.

What is new in 2022?

In 2022 with Alltech’s support, we want to take the initiative to the next level including:

• Facilitating more mentorship pairings across the globe and with an inclusive range of backgrounds and sub-sectors.
• Providing additional educational and supportive sessions to guide the pairings through the year.
• A mentor and mentee directory to aid networking amongst all participants.

How will it work?

We are accepting applications for mentors and mentees until 31st January 2022. You are invited to submit your application to become a mentor or be mentored – or both!

Matchmaking will take place in February and you will receive information about your counterpart once all pairings have been arranged. Your first virtual meeting and introductory sessions will be conducted in March.

We provide suggestions and guidance for conducting your monthly mentorship sessions.

In fact, you’ll benefit from WFA support and coaching for a year to make the most of this experience! Quarterly discussion sessions and roundtables offer another opportunity to engage with the wider group of participants and receive support throughout the mentorship program.

Please bear in mind that we have limited capacity in our virtual meeting platform, so we might not be able to match everyone during this round.

We hope the pairing will also get to meet at our 2022 WFA event when we can go back to face to face large scale meetings.

How much time should I allot for mentorship meetings?

We suggest that you meet with your counterpart each month for a 30–60-minute virtual discussion. You and your counterpart are free to discuss a schedule that suits both your schedules.

WFA will conduct quarterly meetings of about an hour to support our mentors and mentees.