when farmers communicate online

Operation seduction rather than operation snail. We were used to seeing them demonstrate at the wheel of their tractors, less to seeing them plowing the roads of France from their cabs to spread the word. At the wheel of a machine with large notched wheels, with a thunderous rallying cry “Hi, it’s Thierry, today’s farmer”, Thierry Bailliet, 49, at the head of a 150 hectare farm, partly organic, in the Pas-de-Calais, has embarked on a major loop since February, intended to give a positive image of his profession. On the program, thirty stages, in five non-consecutive weeks, from February to December. No promotional bobsleigh distributed on the sides of the road, but a caravan of around twenty agricultural start-ups, members of the Cofarming association, partner of its journey. And, at each step, “A newspaper of the Tour” thirty minutes, on video.

Renewal of generations

Equipment tests, reports on farms equipped with the latest technologies, popularization around breeding, meetings with the general public … behind the close-ups of the axles of agricultural machines, plowing and “tractor” interviews, the same goal : “Show innovation, the diversity of our professions, to make young people want to join us, but also to educate consumers”, explains Thierry Bailliet, who, for the past seven years, has been telling his daily life on his YouTube channel (more than 700 videos online and some 85,000 subscribers, a quarter of whom do not belong to the agricultural world). A perfect ambassador to encourage a whole profession to dare to leave its field of beets to pass into that of the camera.

“The French love their farmers but are nonetheless critical of some of their practices”, analyzes Eddy Fougier, political scientist

“For a long time, farmers considered that they did not have to explain their practices, analysis Eddy Fougier, political scientist and consultant, author of a note to appear on the subject for the think tank AgriDées. Their direct contact with consumers was limited and they had enough contact with politicians to defend them. “ The renewal of generations and confinement have brought them out of their silence and a defensive position. Appearing as an essential link in the food chain, they regained confidence. The rise of direct sales and farm drives has brought together consumers and producers, urban and rural. Hence the idea of ​​part of the agricultural world to take advantage of this period to play the card of short-circuit communication. Private from the Show this year – instead, an Agriculture Week is organized throughout France from May 13 to 24 – the sector now plays the card of cool and transparency, by distilling slices of life that want to be authentic and independent of any trade union organization, on a multitude of media. A bit like there was “personal branding”, this form of professional self-promotion in vogue in the tertiary sector, it is now “rural branding” which is on the rise.

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