Farmers want to work on sustainable farms and are committed to using resource-saving solutions. These are the findings of the “Agriculture in Transition” study conducted by Continental together with the market research institute Innofact AG in the fall of 2023. 503 farmers from five countries were asked about their daily work, their concerns and challenges. The first results of the study were published at Agritechnica 2023. An analysis of the overall results shows that farmers around the world are not only open to sustainable change but consider it to be the most important task of all.
Climate impacts affect farmers’ daily work
Respondents rank environmentally friendly agriculture as the number one factor that will determine the medium-term success of their business, ahead of safety and digitalization. That farmers are concerned about the effects of climate change is hardly surprising, given the accelerating pace of global climate change. However, the fact that almost two-thirds of respondents (around 63 percent) experience climate change and its effects, such as changes in weather and environmental conditions, on a daily basis illustrates the urgent need for action. Issues that are only indirectly related to climate change are also a pressing concern. For example, more than two-thirds of the farmers surveyed (around 69 percent) consider soil quality − a critical factor not only for sustainable agriculture, but also for the economic success of a farm − to be essential to their daily work.
Farmers have a positive attitude towards sustainability
The study shows that farmers are ready to embrace change. The key finding is that this is driven by a personal interest: around eight out of ten farmers (79 percent) consider it important to work for a farm that is committed to the environment and proactively addresses the issue of sustainability. For almost nine out of ten farmers (around 87 percent), it is important that the machinery and equipment used on the farm contribute to sustainability.
Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation. In 2022, Continental generated sales of €39.4 billion and currently employs around 200,000 people in 57 countries and markets.
