International Women's Day

In France, more and more women work in agriculture. Almost 530,000. They primarily manage sheep, hog, poultry, or fruit and vegetable farms, vineyards... Today, women account for a quarter of all farm businesses compared to almost 8% in 1970. Generally speaking, women farmers are highly qualified, have a rich and varied background and are undoubtedly committed to organic farming. From the field to the kitchen table, there is only one step, or almost. In the restaurant industry, women also know how to make their presence felt through the media or dedicated clubs such as "Les Nouvelles Mères Cuisinières", created by Anne-Sophie Pic and Hélène Darroze. It goes without saying that they are in a man's world - 94% of chefs are male - but, more than ever before, their voice is being heard and they are winning awards (15% of new Michelin-starred chefs in 2019 vs 5% in 2017). All of which has encouraged others. In cooking schools, there are now as many women as there are men - a welcome return and for more than one reason. How many world-renowned French chefs found their vocation thanks to their grandmother, mother or another female role model? Was Michel Bras not introduced to cooking by his grandmother, "Mémé Bras"? Did Mère Brazier not catch the attention of Paul Bocuse and Bernard Pacaud? Not to mention the family home, where it is mainly the female members who cook for their loved ones and thereby develop their palate on a daily basis. For all of these reasons, women should be celebrated not only in this article but through portraits. This month, we shall bring you three portraits of women in this sector: a farmer, a winegrower and a cheffe. To be continued...