A reflection on interviews and key competencies
Small and family farmers are at the heart of Slovakia’s food landscape. They ensure local production, preserve traditional practices, and support rural communities. Yet their everyday challenges are growing—from digital bureaucracy to unpredictable climate. As part of the Smart4Food project, we spoke directly with Slovak farmers and educators to better understand: What skills do smallholders actually need in 2025?
We Heard from Farmers
We interviewed producers like Jakub Dvorský, a young winemaker and beekeeper, and Mario Simonics, a grain and livestock farmer experimenting with sustainable practices. Both confirmed: farming today is not just about growing food — it’s about navigating digital tools, markets, and regulations.
When asked about the skills they feel they are missing, digital literacy stood out as the most pressing issue. While farmers use smartphones daily, most are unfamiliar with dedicated apps for managing their farms, tracking weather, or accessing subsidy portals. Many collect data on soil moisture or weather conditions, but lack the skills to interpret this information effectively and integrate it into their decision-making.
Another recurring challenge is online marketing and branding. Although there’s clear interest in selling products like wine, honey or vegetables online, many producers struggle with creating a website, presenting their offerings attractively, and communicating with customers via social media or email. Branding, pricing, and even the creation of basic visual content often remain barriers.
Legal and bureaucratic navigation is also a stress factor. Farmers report difficulties in understanding Slovak and EU regulations related to food safety, direct sales, and subsidies. They often rely on guesswork or second-hand information rather than structured support or training.
In terms of learning preferences, farmers expressed a strong desire for short and practical content, ideally delivered in Slovak with voice-over. They prefer step-by-step video tutorials, visual aids such as infographics, and platforms that are mobile-first and accessible offline. Interactive elements, such as quizzes or simple checklists, were also mentioned as welcome additions.
📚 What Educators and Support Organizations Observe
Educational stakeholders and rural development experts, such as Monika BožÃková, Zuzana Palková and Monika Slaninová, confirmed many of these needs. They noted that many farmers are resistant to formal, lecture-based training, often perceiving it as disconnected from their daily challenges. Instead, they prefer learning by doing—through demonstration, observation, and hands-on tasks.
Digital exclusion remains a real problem, particularly for older farmers. While some younger producers are beginning to experiment with e-commerce and technology, there is a significant knowledge and confidence gap between generations.
These experts also observed that many farmers want to farm more sustainably, but don’t know how to begin. They are interested in reducing chemical inputs, managing waste better, or protecting biodiversity, but lack clear, locally relevant guidance. They also pointed out that many initiatives fail because they don’t include trusted local facilitators who can bridge the gap between information and practice.
🔑 Six Competencies That Matter Most
Based on these interviews and Smart4Food’s Key Competence Map, we identified six key areas where small-scale food producers in Slovakia would benefit from focused support.
First is digital competence in agriculture. Farmers need to become comfortable using mobile applications for planting calendars, pest alerts, livestock records, and digital sales platforms. They would also benefit from learning how to use tools like Google Drive or cloud photo storage to manage farm-related documentation and communication more effectively.
Second is sustainable resource management. Farmers must understand how to evaluate soil health, apply compost, use water-saving irrigation systems, and diversify their cropping to support biodiversity. Waste reduction techniques, such as turning farm leftovers into animal feed or mulch, were also seen as critical.
The third area is marketing and value addition. Farmers should be able to build a basic brand identity, use storytelling to connect with customers, and package their products according to legal standards. This also includes understanding how to price their goods fairly and create loyalty among local buyers.
Fourth is business and financial management. Many producers lack structured tools for budgeting or planning investments. Learning to track income and expenses, calculate return on investment, and prepare for grant applications can significantly improve their resilience and growth potential.
Climate adaptation and resilience make up the fifth priority area. Smallholders need to be able to identify local climate risks, choose drought-tolerant crops, and apply integrated pest management methods. Understanding how to read local weather patterns and adjust farm practices accordingly could also help prevent yield loss.
Finally, innovation and adaptability are essential for long-term survival. This includes trying out new crops, developing side income streams such as agritourism or on-farm processing, and maintaining an open mindset toward peer learning and experimentation.
🚀 What’s Next?
These insights form the backbone of the upcoming Smart4Food Training Curriculum. This will include short, digital microlearning modules co-created with farmers, educators, and digital innovators. The goal is not to replace traditional training but to supplement it with accessible, mobile-first content that speaks the language of real-life farm challenges.
New Edu is leading the curriculum development, and we’re committed to building materials that are practical, usable, and empowering for farmers. The future of farming education in Slovakia isn’t in lecture halls—it’s in the hands of producers, on their phones, in the fields, and among their communities.
You can follow our journey and get involved at www.smartforfood.eu.
