(Rural Roots Canada) – As the Women in Food & Agriculture Mentorship Program (WFA) kicks off its fourth year with the opening of its application process for new mentors and mentees, it’s impressive to note the number of applicants and successful pairings it has created across the global food and agriculture sector.

To date the popular program has successfully created 562 mentor  – mentee pairings from over 3000 people looking for mentorship and nearly 1,700 individuals looking to be mentors.

These pairings range from CEOs of agribusinesses to small-scale farmers, academics, and ag-tech professionals.

WFA matches applicants based on their preferences, which can include the gender of the mentor, areas of expertise, language and industry sector, and offers opportunities for women in food and agriculture to develop meaningful industry connections.

The program’s creation was in response to WFA surveys and ongoing feedback that suggested that a hurdle to great success for women working in the agri-food industry was a lack of mentorship opportunities.

Applications for a four year old global mentorship program for women are now open for the 2024 year.

In a statement, Elisabeth Mork-Eidem, global chair of WFA, is enthusiastic about the program’s continued success.

“We are delighted to see the overwhelming response to the WFA Mentorship Program, which underscores the importance of mentorship in empowering women in the food and agriculture industry,” said Mork-Eidem.

READ MORE: AWC West 2024: Connecting and Collaborating in the Food Space

The program is supported by Alltech, who recently announced their continued support for the initiative.

“Our partnership with the Women in Food & Agriculture mentorship program is an investment not only in the lives of women but in the future of agriculture as the industry most integral to the nourishment and vitality of our planet,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech in a statement.

Mork-Eidem says Alltech’s ongoing support is important.

“We are confident that the program will continue to make a positive impact, fostering diversity and inclusion across the sector.”

For more information and to apply to be a mentor or mentee, click here.