The deliciousness we find on our plate is certainly thanks to the chef, the person who carefully prepared the dish. But without food, there is no recipe. All across the country, female farm operators play a pivotal role in the industry. Here are some statistics that give us some insight into their growing contribution, in celebration of Canada’s Agriculture Day on February 15.
A steady increase in the number and the proportion of female farm operators
Data from the 2021 Census of Agriculture show that the number of female farm operators increased for the first time since 1991. In 2021, there were 79,795 female farm operators in Canada, up from 77,970 in 2016, an increase of 2.3% (+1,825). By comparison, the number of male farm operators fell 5.8% over the same period.
Furthermore, 30.4% of Canada’s farm operators were female, up from 28.7% in 2016. This was not the first time that the proportion of female farm operators rose between two censuses. In fact, the proportion of female farm operators has increased several times over the previous seven census periods.
Female farm operators aged 55 and older
Did you know that the increase in the number of female farm operators mainly occurred in the older age group? From 2016 to 2021, the number of female farm operators in Canada aged 55 and older rose by 7,245 (+17.7%). The gain in this age group was more than five times the rate of their male counterparts (+3.1%).
In 2021, around 6 in 10 female farm operators in Canada (60.5%) were 55 years and older, up from 52.6% in 2016. Among the provinces, Newfoundland and Labrador had the largest share (65.2%) of female farm operators in this age group in 2021, while Quebec had the smallest share (51.5%).
From 2016 to 2021, the number of female farm operators younger than 35 years (younger group) decreased by 620 (-9.5%), while the number of those aged 35 to 54 (middle-aged group) fell 4,790 (-15.8%).
Where are female farm operators located?
As in 2016, Ontario had the most female farm operators, totalling 20,895 in 2021 (26.2% of the national total). Alberta was second, with 18,525 female farm operators (23.2% of the total), followed by Saskatchewan and Quebec.
Sheep and goats
What kinds of farms do female farm operators work on? Sheep and goat farms! In 2021, 41.1% of operators working on farms classified as sheep and goat farms were female, up from 39.7% in 2016. In contrast, oilseed and grain farms had the lowest percentage of female farm operators (25.6%) in 2021.
Hours of work off the farm
In 2020, 38,610 female farm operators reported working off their farm in Canada, up 10.2% (+3,570) from 2015. This increase was nearly nine times higher than that of their male counterparts (+1.2%). What’s more, the proportion of female farm operators who reported working off the farm rose from 44.9% in 2015 to 48.4% in 2020. Furthermore, 27.9% of female farm operators worked full-time off the farm, up from 25.5% in 2015.
Recent federal government initiatives, such as the Women Entrepreneur Program, have been launched to support female entrepreneurs in the agriculture and agri-food sector. This program was launched in March 2019 and invested $500 million over a three-year period.
For more data on female farm operators, check out our infographic.
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Contact information
For more information, contact the Statistical Information Service (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).