The green transformation and gender equality in agricultural entrepreneurship: Insights from the European Union

Green transformation, including the latest European Green Plan, is a part of the European Union (EU) environmental policy, with agriculture occupying a special position in this transformation, being both part of the problem and its solution. Within EU countries, a gender gap in agricultural entrepreneurship is prominent. Since women are widely believed to be more inclined towards environmental and ecological ventures, the question arises whether the green transformation can attract more women to agriculture. This paper thus examines the green transformation's effect on the gender gap in agricultural entrepreneurship. To reach this aim, we use panel data for 23 selected EU countries over the 2008–2019 period, and employ panel regression and cluster analysis. We accept four variables as measures of the green transformation: the circular material use ratio, the share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions per capita, and environmental tax revenues. Based on the panel regression results, we find that some aspects of the green transition can predict women's participation in agricultural entrepreneurship. The results of the cluster analysis indicate that in the clusters of countries with particular strategy of green transformation, both a circularity driven green transformation and a renewable energy driven green transformation coexist with relatively higher levels of female entrepreneurship in agriculture. The lowest share of women among agricultural entrepreneurs is found in countries that belong to clusters without a specific green transformation pattern. Our major contribution indicates the potential of green transformation to affect women's entrepreneurship in agriculture. •The European Union's (EU) green transformation emphasises agriculture's role in climate responses.•There is a persistent gender gap in the EU's agricultural entrepreneurship (AE).•The green transformation offers new opportunities for women's agricultural entrepreneurship.•A circularity driven strategy of the EU's green transformation can boost women in AE.•Renewable energy driven strategy of the EU's green transformation can enhance women in AE.