The first DIGI-Rangeland National Workshop (NWS1) in Switzerland took place online on 4 November 2025 and was organised by AGRIDEA’s animal husbandry team. The event brought together 21 stakeholders, including farmers, advisors, researchers, veterinarians, and representatives from agricultural organisations from different parts of Switzerland.
The aim of the workshop was to identify local challenges, needs, and barriers to adopting digital technologies and innovations (DTI) in rangeland farming. Held online, the event was designed as an interactive session using Mentimeter for brainstorming, plenary discussions, and Zoom surveys to facilitate prioritisation. The three thematic areas of discussion were: improved management of extensive livestock systems, grazing land use and sharing with different stakeholders, and promotion of products and services provided by these systems.
Needs
Participants highlighted the need for practical digital tools to support grassland management, animal health monitoring, and decision-making—provided these tools simplify rather than complicate farm work. Key concerns also included parasite transmission between herds and wildlife, the need for earlier disease detection, and increasing conflicts with tourists in grazing areas.
In addition, participants noted that rangeland products are often poorly differentiated due to complex labelling, leading to low consumer awareness and limited willingness to pay. Greater transparency, clearer communication, and improved certification were identified as important needs.
DTI Barriers
Digital technologies currently in use included GPS systems, drones, and monitoring tools, although many participants reported not using any. The main barriers to adoption included high costs for both purchase and maintenance, poor network coverage in remote grazing areas, limited accuracy of available systems, and a lack of integration between different tools. Some participants also noted that certain technologies are not well adapted to Swiss production systems, particularly pasture-based systems and locally common breeds. Additional concerns included dependence on service providers and a lack of transparency in how digital outputs are generated. In some cases, tools were discontinued due to complexity and low user-friendliness.
Outlook
Overall, participants evaluated the workshop positively. The results will contribute to the wider DIGI-Rangeland project and will be shared at the upcoming transnational workshop in Romania. Further national workshops planned for 2026 will, among other things, focus on additional rangeland users such as tourists and nature conservation stakeholders. The Swiss NWS1 provided a strong foundation for continued dialogue on how digital innovations can support more sustainable and efficient rangeland livestock systems.
