Photo credits: Farmers Parliament (ZSA)
On 31 August 2021, the DESIRA Latvian Living Lab held a physical workshop to carry out its Scenario Planning. This Living Lab (LL) focuses on facilitating change in the ways beef farmers use digital technologies to communicate with consumers.
The meeting was attended by beef farmers, representatives of farmers’ organisations, consultants and researchers. Among other stakeholders, there were representatives of two newly established cooperatives that are looking for tools to support their members in their communication with consumers.
The scenario question that was worked on at the meeting was: How can digital tools and marketing support the trade of high-quality beef in various futures scenarios? The futures that were used in the discussion were based on seven drivers: 1. new diets; 2. animal welfare; 3. social media/ social networks; 4. extreme weather conditions; 5. beef cattle diseases; 6. solvency of the population; and 7. government support for environment-friendly practices. Participants concluded that in all futures digital solutions could play a crucial role in attracting consumers, communicating with them, managing interaction with consumers and organising trade.
Photo credits: Farmers Parliament (ZSA)
The workshop was combined with a farm visit where farmers had the possibility to visit a farm widely considered to be a success story – the largest beef cattle auction house. During the visit, participants could explore the auction facilities and had a guided excursion around the farm.
Stay tuned to our website to know how the DESIRA Living Labs are planning their Scenario Workshops.
