Mrs Thielenhaus ended on a note of hope concerning continuing co-among women's organisations. The President of IFAP, Mr Gerard Doornbos, outlined the future challenges for women in agriculture. As a result of changes in agriculture and new technological developments, the working agricultural population will decrease in the future. Women in agriculture will need to invest in training and demonstrate their capacity for initiative in order to keep up. The views of women on current problems, such as globalisation and increasing competition in agriculture, must be placed at the top of the agendas of discussions and meetings.
Women work mainly on family farms.
This fact must be studied in the light of the new international agricultural context, in order to provide opportunities for employment and initiatives for women farmers and rural women, whether it be in the industrialised countries and in the developing countries. Mr Gerard Doornbos hoped that the meeting would give rise to useful proposals within IFAP to preserve and enhance the roles of women in agriculture. This was particularly important for women in agriculture in the developing countries. Modern agriculture is complex, and women, even if they ensure the running of family farms, rarely have a formal agricultural education. Such an education is essential for the personal and technical development of women farmers.