Boosting the attractiveness of agriculture and the connection between the farming community and society

With the current challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, resource scarcity, new working patterns and consumers’ behaviour changes, there is the need for a more innovative, sustainable farming in the EU. However, the EU's farming sector is facing a steady decline of workforce in the last fifteen years, also depending on demographic challenges such as an ageing farming population. Thus, the need for attracting and supporting young and new farmers is critical. The motivations, commercial nature and business models for farming have changed due to the recent climate and environmental challenges and to the new opportunities offered by the technological and digital innovations, but at the same time, due to social and economic factors.

While it is a vital sector, farming still remains largely poorly understood by society, subject to many myths and misconceptions. To develop and implement effective policies and business strategies enhancing the attractiveness of the sector, is essential to better understand how the perception of farming by society is determined by socio-economic and other factors (for example, but not limited to: income, labour conditions, land markets, use of sustainable practices, mental health, social wellbeing, social, economic and gender inequalities, generational renewal, etc…) is essential. Sound governance and policies creating an attractive environment, inclusive fair job conditions for farmers will enable the transition to more resilient and sustainable farming systems.

New interdisciplinary knowledge also stemming from disciplines such as social sciences and humanities is necessary to explore and better understand the ways in which agriculture is expressed and thought about, and its changing relationship with society. Activities under this topic should unlock the potential of cultural and creative industries to improve the communication about agriculture to society.

Proposals should:

• improve understanding of the socio-economic and other factors and conditions influencing attractiveness of farming as an economic activity and profession, and how farmers see and project themselves in the future of farming;
• examine the factors that influence the decision to become or to leave the profession of farm worker or farm owner in diverse regions across Europe, incorporating storytelling and narrative techniques;
• explore and analyse how farmers’ interactions vary within the farming community and with the broad society based on different factors (e.g. historical, sectorial, territorial, farm size, age, education, gender, etc) and how do those factors influence their social and economic roles;
• explore and assess the perception of and communication on farming across society at large according to different societal actors (individuals or groups that play a significant role in shaping and influencing societal norms, values, and institutions) and economic actors (individuals, businesses, or organizations that participate in economic activities, such as production, consumption, and distribution of goods and services) across the EU with different perspectives (e.g. historical, sectorial, territorial, size, age, education, gender, etc);
• map existing agricultural education and training programmes across Europe and provide recommendations, based on the evidence collected, on how they can be designed to appeal to a diverse range of individuals;
• improve societal perception of farming through the mobilisation of and cooperation between cultural and creative industries (CCIs);
• map, assess, promote existing and propose new solutions, good practices, initiatives, approaches , solutions that aim at improving the attractiveness of farming sector and the connection between the farming community and society, and widely disseminate to policymakers, farmers, businesses and other relevant actors.

Proposals should support collaborative and interdisciplinary work. Thus, proposals should involve the effective contribution of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines, such as sociology, geography, demography, communication, behavioural science, anthropology or education. Proposals may involve digital media, traditional media, arts, marketing, cultural disciplines (and beyond) to contribute to improve attractiveness of the farming sector. Participatory foresight methods are encouraged.