Breaking new ground: Rewriting the story of Europe’s farmers
A recent EU CAP Network’s Thematic Group looked at how to make farmers’ wider contributions to society better seen and valued by the wider public.
Farmers are far more than food producers: they are environmental stewards, educators, innovators, and pillars of rural communities. Nevertheless, much of this societal contribution remains unseen or undervalued by the wider public.
Composed of farmers, NGOs, educators, communicators, and policy-makers from across 19 EU Member States, the EU CAP Network’s Thematic Group (TG) on Valuing Farmers’ Wider Contributions to Society gathered in Brussels twice this year to explore the tools and techniques that can be used to help move the conversation forward in a way which better reflects the true societal value of farming.
Shifting the narrative
One of the key takeaways from the group’s first meeting (February 2025) was the need to move beyond persistent stereotypes in public and media discourse. This was something that agrifood journalist Natasha Foote dug deeper into, breaking down common and recurring media narratives in a keynote presentation. These ranged from the ‘angry farmer’ to the ‘armchair farmer’, as highlighted in the context paper (available on the TG page) and in the image below.
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Angry farmer
A recurring theme in media is the “angry” farmer. Headlines often use phrases like “furious farmers,” or combative language such as “farmers fight back”. Idea of “pitchfork politics” and farmer exceptionalism — that farmers get preferential treatment over e.g. climate protests.
Agribashing
Demonisation of farming — farmers as a polluter, industrial, key driver of climate change & biodiversity loss, bad for environment & animal welfare, farmer seen as complaining/negative.
…vs. romanticising
Romanticisation of the “simple life,” bucolic, eternal sunset farms, the “instagram” farm life — especially true of the younger, “farmer influencers” on social media, e.g. regenerative agriculture movement. Farming as a way of life — part of the cultural heritage. Also used as advertising tool.
Food producer
Farmers role reduced to food production — less recognition for other socioeconomic benefits, e.g. rural vitality, job creation, biodiversity, climate, public health. Pervasive “feeding the world” and “food security” narratives — e.g. “No Farmers No Food”.
Size matters
- Small farm = good
- Big farm = bad
Farmer image
Male, white, old, flannel shirt and hat (cliché), often pristine; tractor/machinery. “Old school farmer” (traditional, working by hand/tractor) vs “the young farmer” (using high tech).
Characteristics:
- Seen as uneducated & unskilled (esp. farm workers)
- Conservative/resistant to change; stubborn
- Hardworking, traditional/outdated, sacrificial
- “Farmers” framed as a homogenous whole
Farming vs environment
Farming & food production framed as fundamentally at odds with the environment. Farmers framed as “anti-environment,” especially following the EU farmers’ protests, largely explained as a pushback against the EU’s Green Deal.
Sustainability as a “burden”
Farming sustainably is seen as a burden, requiring “trade-offs” — e.g. more expensive and/or less productive. Reductionist “who should pay? Farmer or consumer?” narrative.
Struggling farmer…
Struggling financially, burdened by red tape, undercut by trade, poor mental health, socially isolated. “Victim of the system” with small, family farmers against the “big guys.” Crisis farming — dealing with a permacrisis (e.g. Covid, Ukraine). Narrative of precarity. Unattractive profession.
…vs armchair farmer
Cashing in the money, greedy. Landowners/agrocompanies vs. farmers. “CAP worth a third of the EU budget” is a repeated point. Commonly heard: “What are they complaining about, they’re millionaires?” and/or fancy tractor/tech = lots of money.
Urban/rural divide
Gap between farmers and rest of society, and vice versa — feeling of poor understanding of the reality of farming. Consumers far from realities of farming.
Far-right farmers
Seen politically as right leaning, but increasingly associated with the rise of the far right, e.g. “regressive”. Farmers = block to progress. Increasingly regularly anti-EU.
A core message that emerged in discussions is the importance of telling more diverse, compelling stories that portray farmers as skilled professionals and community builders, and not just producers.
To help bridge the gap between farmers and society, TG members had the chance to explore real-life examples of how farmers support rural vitality, environmental stewardship, and cultural heritage – all key points stressed in the TG meeting. This included a range of initiatives across the EU, such as the Regenerative Farming project in Slovakia, the Social Farming project in Ireland, and the Municipal Farming project in France, which illustrate the breadth of farmers’ roles and their voluntary contributions to the public good (you can see the framing presentation on the event page).
The group explored the many ways this can happen – through education, farmers' self-promotion, communication and awareness-raising campaigns, and awards and recognition programmes (including examples such as the Agricultural and Rural Inspiration Awards), and national competitions.
Innovative communication: from storytelling to ‘farmfluencers’
Building on the fertile ground for discussion developed in the first meeting and during informal gatherings of TG members, the second TG meeting (May 2025) went into greater depth, focusing on turning early insights into concrete, down-to-earth strategies to boost the visibility and appeal of farming, especially for young and future farmers ready to take the reins.
Storytelling was a core theme running throughout both sessions, whether through personal narratives, farm visits, or digital platforms. Multiple social media-savvy ‘farmfluencers’ across Europe, such as those supported by the Finnish and Austrian National Networks, are already changing the public’s perception by sharing honest, relatable farm experiences on Instagram, TikTok, and beyond – as illustrated in a recent article.
But not every farmer can, or wants to, become a digital storyteller, which is why coordinated campaigns, such as Ireland’s ‘There’s More to the Story…’ or Austria’s 'Farmfluencers’, are so vital. These initiatives combine digital media with physical engagement to reconnect people with the land and the people behind their food, showcasing the power of combining public support with communication strategies.
Sowing seeds of ideas
The group was then split into five subgroups to discuss concrete policy and communication proposals aimed at both improving public understanding and supporting farmers in their evolving roles. These included:
- An EU Farmers’ Day with open farm events across member states;
- A fictional TV series, ‘Seasons change’, designed to reframe farming as a modern, skilled, and diverse profession;
- Media partnerships to provide regular, multimedia coverage, putting farmers at the centre
After being put to a vote, it was the public administrators’ team which nabbed the top spot with its proposal, ‘F.A.C.E.’ for Farmers. In it, four pillars – Farmers’ social security, Access to land, Communication and recognition, and Education – work together to transform the agricultural landscape and create a multi-pronged strategy designed to make farming a more attractive career.
This plan includes practical steps such as expanding social support services, removing entry barriers for new farmers, boosting the public image of farming as a respected and essential profession, and integrating agrifood topics into school curricula.
The result? A more connected, future-facing approach to agriculture that puts farmers at the heart of our communities.
Message taking root
Momentum is growing as more farmers, communicators and policymakers join in to help reseed the public image of farming. And the message taking root is clear: farming isn’t just a job - it is the bedrock of society.
The key messages from the Thematic Group are summarised on the TG landing page, which also offers an inspiring selection of good practices compiled with the help of TG members, giving a flavour of the range of activities that are happening in different parts of the EU.
The good practices look at farmers' interactions with the public, educational initiatives, and communication and awareness-raising actions. These categories reflect the diverse strategies used to increase public understanding of the essential roles farmers play beyond food production. From engaging directly with citizens, sharing personal experiences, and building farmers' communication skills, to delivering educational programmes and running targeted campaigns, each category demonstrates a different way of making farmers’ contributions more visible and valued by society.
The outcomes of the Thematic Group will feed into the future work of the EU CAP Network, including the current Thematic Groups on Unlocking the Potential of Cooperation and Improving Water Resilience in Rural Areas through the CAP, which just held their first respective meetings.
To stay up to date on this topic, visit the EU CAP Network website and follow @eucapnetwork on social media.
