Honest contact: East Tyrol's farmers in dialogue with consumers

Honest contact: East Tyrol's farmers in dialogue with consumers

The East Tyrolean district meeting of the regional association of Tyrolean direct marketers took place on April 3, 2025, in which central questions were discussed under the main topic “Challenges in agriculture and authentic communication of farm work and food”. In her keynote speech, Bianca Blasl pointed out the importance of honest communication between farmers and consumers. She emphasized that “real stories, real images” are crucial for consumer trust. Authenticity was highlighted as a key factor that carries more weight than the idea of ​​perfection.

District chairman Philipp Jans expressed his pride in the appreciation of agricultural work in the region, while district farmer Karin Huber emphasized the strong solidarity in the association and the essential role of food production in society. It is particularly important to raise awareness of regional and seasonal products. The purchase of such products is seen not only as a contribution to strengthening the region, but also to securing farmers' livelihoods, as in the Small newspaper thematised.

Public relations and new paths

A central concern of the meeting was the development of new ways in public relations, especially in direct marketing. Participants discussed various approaches to authentically represent the production conditions and food production. Many children today are no longer informed about how food is produced. Raising awareness among the population is at the top of the agenda for East Tyrolean direct marketers.

There were also insights into fruit production at Webhofer in Gaimberg, which gave participants an understanding of the opportunities and challenges of regional agriculture. The discussions made it clear that the will for further development remains unbroken, despite the enormous challenges facing agriculture.

Importance of direct marketing

The importance of direct marketing is not only evident in East Tyrol. Loud oekolandbau.de Direct marketing is seen as increasingly important. Two thirds of the experts and companies surveyed expect further growth in this sector. Organic businesses in particular are focusing on expanding their direct marketing strategy. 70% of the 167 organic businesses plan to expand their activities in this area.

Trends such as cooperation with partners, the availability of products around the clock, or greater use of online platforms are directly linked to the way agricultural products are marketed today. The results emphasize the need to take these trends into account in the local context in order to remain competitive.

In conclusion, it can be said that the East Tyrolean district assembly not only reflects the current status of direct marketing in the region, but also provides an outlook on future developments, which should be characterized by community collaboration and authentic communication.