News from the farm: Time for men to step up & speak out

This Sunday is International Women’s Day. Some might ask what an ageing male farmer would have to add to the debate. Firstly, I would contend that, as many of the issues discussed on Sunday will relate to male behaviour, particularly of the rich and powerful, men should be paying as much attention as women. Secondly, that too many blokes being blokey doesn’t get the strawberries picked.

My farm has been happier, more productive, and profitable since I, and my male head grower, put our best picker (a woman half our age) in charge. Today, we must be one of very few veg farms with a waiting list for pickers and that’s all down to Maddie – demanding change in the face of unacceptable male behaviour, and making work here fun, emotionally safe, and fulfilling. It has been wonderful (and personally very rewarding) to see her flourish and take the rest of us forward with her.

When we first measured our gender pay gap at Riverford in 2017, women earned an average of 91p to their male colleagues’ £1 an hour. We made excuses and weak efforts at change but most of the men at the top were unwilling to challenge their unspoken prejudice.

Our transition to employee ownership required a lot of introspection and patient evaluation of how decisions were made and by whom. We employed Kanada Gorla, a business change coach who, working with our People Director over three years, patiently built a genuinely inclusive culture. The change started with me and I am so grateful they had the courage to challenge me and help me grow in a new and more rewarding direction. The work continues, much of it led by our co-owner council and their advocacy for equality, diversity & inclusion.

Back then, our male homogeneity made our decisions narrow in scope and both humanly and financially expensive. It also impeded growth. But we can all change. Last month, our gender pay gap turned negative – on average, women at Riverford are now paid 1.56% more per hour than men, largely because so many senior jobs have been filled by brilliant women.

At 65, I lament the decades spent constrained by my own narrow masculinity. The answer is to cast off the shackling definitions of “male” – to broaden our minds and support each other, and of course, women. Men must never stand by, squirming awkwardly, when another man is sexist. We must all move forward, unencumbered by stereotypes, as so many women have.

For more information on Riverford’s Gender Pay Gap Report, visit Riverford pay gap.

Photograph of the Baddaford Farm Collective, by Emma Stoner; Summer 2024

Our News from the Farm posts come from Riverford. They are the digital versions of the printed letters which go out to customers, every week via Riverford’s veg boxes. Guy Singh-Watson’s weekly newsletters connect people to the farm with refreshingly honest accounts of the trials and tribulations of producing organic food, and the occasional rant about farming, ethical and business issues he feels strongly about.