Anne Montgomery, PhD, associate professor of community medicine at Mercer University School of Medicine and a biostatistician at the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center, presented national research findings at the 2026 International Year of the Woman Farmer ACE Summit in Washington, D.C.
Hosted by the American Farm Bureau’s Women’s Leadership Committee and U.S. agricultural partners, the summit recognizes the contributions and leadership of women across agriculture and the food system. The ACE (Advocate, Cultivate, Empower) Summit was held June 1-3, bringing together women farmers, ranchers, agricultural professionals, policymakers, and industry leaders from across the world.
The research team presented findings from the National Women in Agriculture Survey. The study collected responses from more than 4,300 women in agriculture nationwide and examined leadership experiences, advocacy participation, barriers to engagement and organizational involvement.
The research found that women in agriculture are already serving in significant leadership and advocacy roles, while also facing persistent structural challenges related to time constraints, caregiving responsibilities, and access to leadership pathways. Read the executive summary here.
The National Woman in Agriculture study was done in collaboration with the Hive Research Collective, which is led by Stephanie Basey, PhD, graduate of Mercer School of Medicine’s Rural Health Sciences PhD program and former research assistant at the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center. The study was sponsored by the American Farm Bureau’s Women’s Leadership Committee and funded by JBS and Co-Bank.
The full report is available upon request.
Photo courtesy of American Farm Bureau Federation