Fighting 'Agri-bashing': Why direct storytelling is crucial for valuing farmers' wider contributions
'Clarkson's Farm', with celebrity Jeremy Clarkson navigating the complexities of agriculture, has illustrated how a shift toward direct 'digital' storytelling is crucial.
Farmers who go online to share their daily lives, successes, and struggles have become one of the most powerful tools for allowing the wider public to properly see and value the contributions to society of farmers.
They have enabled many outside of agriculture to see beyond media stereotypes, such as the "angry" or "armchair" farmer.
Similarly, and perhaps more than anything else in the media, the smash-hit British TV show with celebrity Jeremy Clarkson navigating the complexities of agriculture, has illustrated how a shift toward direct "digital" storytelling is crucial to give a face to farmers, building trust through a personal touch, and reaching new audiences, especially of young people, who may have little direct connection to rural life.
This new trend in communications has been highlighted by an EU agency: The CAP network thematic group on valuing farmers' wider contributions to society.
Few expect down-to-earth messages from Brussels, but this typically clunkily named EU group has highlighted how a dairy farmer on YouTube talking about animal welfare, or a young farmer on TikTok, can change the way the public engages with agriculture.
"By blending education with entertainment, this direct line to farmers offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into farming life, allowing them to shape their own narratives beyond outdated stereotypes", is the message from the EU group.
This can help to end the headlines about "furious farmers", or about farmers demonised for pollution, climate change, biodiversity loss, or animal welfare problems.
Another stereotype in the public mind to be defeated is "small farmer good; big farmer bad".
Farmers must be seen as more than food producers, getting recognition for rural vitality, and job creation. The "No Farmers, No Food" message can be overdone.
Too many have old-fashioned images of farmers and farm workers as uneducated, unskilled, reclusive, resistant to change, hardworking but stubborn. Farmers may have too successfully painted themselves as "victims of the system". This may be accompanied by perceptions of farmers as anti-environment.
An equally unwarranted stereotype is the "armchair farmer", with a fancy tractor, getting their share of the CAP's third of the EU budget.
Politics can also come into it, perhaps more so in other EU countries, with farmers seen as right-leaning, and part of the rise of the "far right".
As urban-rural divides grow, these stereotypes can make telling the real story of farming harder — leaving its true impact often overlooked.
However, keeping up an online presence requires investment of time, money, and energy, as well as the confidence and desire to communicate and promote oneself. This means it does not appeal to, or is feasible for, every farmer.
That’s why broader digital campaigns such as the Irish CAP network's "There’s More To The Story" are needed.
This eight-week social media campaign, which kicked off last February and is co-funded by the EU and the Department of Agriculture, was designed to showcase the vital contributions of Irish farmers towards restoring the natural environment. The Agriland news website was also involved.
"There’s More To The Story" has highlighted on social media how the acreage of Ireland's more than 5,000 organic farmers has tripled in recent years, and how Irish agriculture achieved a 4.6% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions between 2022 and 2023.
The 97% of Irish farmers signed up to the eco-scheme, to make space for nature, was also highlighted.
Another "There’s More To The Story" message was that 2,400km of hedges are being planted by 55,000 farmers taking part in Acres.
The CAP network thematic group says social farming is also improving the public image of agriculture, by allowing people who use special needs services to take part in day-to-day activities on a family farm.
This happens all over Europe. In Belgium, it has been calculated that while home daycare can cost upwards of €190 per day per patient, social farming is estimated to cost a fraction of this at €80 per day per patient.
It shows how farming can help fulfil a crucial social role.
Such initiatives are needed more and more, rather than persistent stereotypes in public and media discourse, giving rise to negative headlines, and sometimes even unfair criticism , so-called "agri-bashing", which leaves farmers demotivated, and could even result in mental and physical problems.
Furthermore, negative narratives about farming could be among the factors that discourage young people from taking up the job.
Composed of farmers, NGOs, educators, communicators, and policymakers from across 19 member states, the EU group gathered in Brussels twice this year to explore the tools and techniques to move the conversation forward to better reflects the true societal value of farming.
The group's 40 members include Mary Brennan and Brian Smyth, both involved in social farming in Leitrim; Niamh Concannon, CAP network; and Joseph Firnhaber, Teagasc.
