2024-01-10 14:44:36
For responsible and effective communication
André Heitz*
Contrary to an opinion which has taken root in the majority agricultural circles, the one which (still) feeds us, the operation of the inverted commune entrance signs was a disaster.
This superb idea was wasted because two essential ingredients were missing: the operation, part of the JA du Tarn, was haphazardly extended to the whole of France; a national “punch” action would have been necessary. And it has not benefited from any major communication to make the problems understood to the population and not only to the authorities that govern us.
The problem is more general: this agriculture struggles to find media relays beyond its bubble. What a contrast with the circles that criticize it! There is a major project to be completed.
At the same time, we have seen dismaying images resurface of demonstrations amounting to, dare we say it, vandalism. They may temporarily relieve understandable frustrations, but they do not move the issues forward as they should.
It is high time to understand, and to make people understand, that the support of the general public for farmers’ causes is a powerful lever in what is still partly the co-management of agricultural affairs. Plastering the walls of public buildings with slurry does not contribute to this, on the contrary.
Just as this erodes the legitimacy of the agricultural profession, especially in the eyes of activists and the general public (and undoubtedly also administrative and judicial authorities), to demand exemplary measures and sanctions once morest attacks on people and environmental property. agricultural. Everyone knows, or should know, that the protest movements are getting organized and are taking on a worrying scale.
I watch the France 2 “weather-climate newspaper” as much as possible for the dose of adrenaline that the nonsense broadcast there often triggers. I now also have my fix with the of a sponsor – a group of producers who promote themselves by claiming “responsible agriculture”. This kind of message is ultimately agribashing which affects other producers and will eventually also turn once morest those who use it.
It would be useful for the agricultural profession to develop a code of good conduct “directed towards” – this is a nod to Anaïs Baydemir, who abuses this expression – its members and, more generally, the agri-food sector. This might be backed by a consultative body to promote good practices.
There are many ways to connect with citizen voters and consumers and to make people understand the issues that are in fact also theirs. They had become aware of this during the Covid crisis, but forgot a little, and the war in Ukraine was a short-lived reminder.
Displaying, at harvest time, the number of baguette equivalents transported in the bottom of a skip on the way to the silo, is undoubtedly a new dose of reminder for impatient motorists and perhaps annoyed by the slowness of the hitch.
Our limit is our imagination and our commitment. In 2018, the JA de Haute-Saône carried out a beautiful poster campaign [1]. With for example: “I cultivate my territory and shape the landscapes to feed you”. Isn’t this a beautiful, fair and essential message?
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[1] See: Communication: The JA of Haute-Saône on display (lafranceagricole.fr) and Young farmers are displayed in large format on the roads of Haute-Saône (francetvinfo.fr)
*A version of this article was published in France Agricole on January 5, 2024.
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