Farmers and agri-food companies are abandoning social media even as disinformation grows

Many people in the agricultural sector have dropped off social media, says a recent survey by researchers at the University of Guelph.

A lack of agricultural experts on social media could affect the ability of agricultural and food advisory networks to work effectively, and of the sector’s ability to counter misinformation.

“Our advisors, our farmers, our value chain actors, they are not using social media; they are just discontinuing using certain platforms,” says [survey researcher Khondokar Kabir].

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There do remain many companies and individuals using social media across the sector, but not as many as there once were, especially on a personal level….The main reason cited for leaving social media was the spread of misinformation, followed by a lack of meaningful engagement and by anti-social behaviour….

• 60 per cent encountered misinformation often or very often.
• 37.3 per cent formally reported harmful content to a platform.
• 53 per cent rate platforms as “not at all effective” at addressing misinformation and anti-social behaviour.

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