Changes in Use of Communication Channels by Livestock Farmers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The study aims to identify any changes in the communication channels used by Slovenian livestock farmers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the main (dis)advantages of relying on them. An online survey was completed by 502 Slovenian farmers of various farm enterprises in winter 2020/2021. Most respondents generally used telephone, e-mail, and the internet to obtain agricultural information before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, farmers increasingly relied on online conferences and social networking sites. At the same time, younger farmers and farmers with a higher education level used digital channels the most frequently, with men doing so more often than women. Digital channels were primarily used by cattle and horse farmers, while cattle farmers showed the greatest online conference participation. Respondents reported having more time to spend with their families and animals as an advantage and the lack of face-to-face interaction with other farmers and advisers as a disadvantage of such communication patterns. As the study reveals differences in the use of communication channels during the COVID-19 pandemic by various farmers, a new communication strategy is needed that involves the use of appropriate communication channels to provide farmers with agricultural information both during the COVID-19 situation and later.

Farm resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of California direct market farmers

“…In other words, farmers who reported an increase in online sales and marketing were more likely to agree with the statement that their operation was able to respond to the pandemic and report an increase in profitability. This is in line with other pandemic research indicating that online sales played a central role in supporting farm resilience during the pandemic ( Bachman et al, 2021 ; Erjavec et al, 2021 ; Hsiao and Tuan, 2021 ; O'Connell et al, 2021 ; Schreiber et al, 2022 ). Specifically, when direct-to-consumer market channels were shut down due to pandemic-related restrictions, online platforms and social media acted as a key intermediary between farmers and consumers ( Danovich, 2020a ; Lamb, 2020 ; Meuwissen et al, 2021 ; Pretty, 2020 ).…”

“…Studies on farmer resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic found that collaborating with other farmers ( Prosser et al, 2021 ), participating in a locally embedded food system ( Perrin and Martin, 2021 ), and/or having high interconnectivity with other food systems actors ( Coopmans et al, 2021 ) contributed to risk mitigation and resilience. Other pandemic-specific research indicates that younger farmers used digital market channels most frequently during the pandemic ( Erjavec et al, 2021 ), which also aligns with our findings and existing literature.…”

“…Similar to other studies that found that younger farmers are more capable of adaptation ( Darnhofer, 2010 ; Mase et al, 2017 ; Peerlings et al, 2014 ), farmers under 55 years of age were associated with a greater likelihood of reporting that they were able to respond to the challenges of the pandemic ( p = 0.04). Other studies show that younger farmers were more able to pivot to digital commerce during the pandemic ( Erjavec et al, 2021 ), which were a helpful tool in responding to the pandemic's disruptions ( Meuwissen et al, 2021 ; Tittonell et al, 2021 ).…”

Being a Farmer in Austria during COVID-19—A Qualitative Study on Challenges and Opportunities

“…Digitalization helped the interviewed farmers to participate frequently in webinars and similar educational offers, which is also reported in the literature [12]. Flexibility, saving time and costs, and having more time for family and management tasks made the use of digital education offers attractive to interviewed farmers, similarly to what was found in other studies [58]. By contrast, the farmers perceived the lack of face-to-face exchange and technological barriers negatively, in accordance with the findings of Erjavec et al [58].…”

Does COVID-19 Change CSR? A Family Business Perspective

“…The situation caused by COVID-19 led to a radical change in many aspects, including communication, since the pandemic changed the perception of the use of communication channels [19]. Thus, Spanish family businesses, supported by their regional associations, decided to use the Internet as a communication channel [20] and to promote the campaign #Damos la Cara. Through the web page www.damoslacara.com, accessed on 5 November 2021, family entrepreneurs present their family history and their way of facing the crisis in short videos of about two minutes.…”