Crisis Communication and the Role of DirCom Professionals in the European Agri-Food Sector: A Comparative Study of Spain, France and Germany

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-803-0_27How to use a DOI?

Keywords

agri-food; crisis communication; DirCom; organisational communication; artificial intelligence

Abstract

The agri-food sector has been established as a strategic economic pillar, whilst concurrently facing mounting challenges regarding ensuring adequate food security. The present study analyses the manner in which communication managers (DirCom) in agri-food companies in Spain, France and Germany manage crises. The theoretical framework is rooted in the disciplines of strategic communication, risk situations and the evolution of the DirCom profile. It is asserted that digitalisation, social media and artificial intelligence (AI) function as instruments for proactive risk mitigation and interaction with audiences. Methodologically, the research employs a quantitative design, utilising a structured survey of communication professionals (n = 28) to explore their training, responsibilities, skills, preferred communication channels, outsourcing of services and use of AI in crisis contexts. The findings suggest that approximately 40% of companies have encountered a crisis in the last decade, with reputation management, internal guidance and proactive dissemination of information identified as their core functions. The key competencies are conflict resolution, leadership and organisational knowledge, with empathy and strategic vision as the most valued traits. The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutions involved. Digital platforms and AI are increasingly used to monitor, generate content and respond quickly. The findings emphasise the pivotal role of strategic communication integrated with technology in mitigating risks, fostering public trust, and fortifying corporate resilience within the agri-food sector.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Download article (PDF)

TY  - CONF
AU  - Lorena Vegas García
AU  - Francisco Paniagua Rojano
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/16
TI  - Crisis Communication and the Role of DirCom Professionals in the European Agri-Food Sector: A Comparative Study of Spain, France and Germany
BT  - Proceedings of the VI International Conference on Communication and Applied Technologies 2026 (ICOMTA 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 286
EP  - 303
SN  - 2667-128X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-803-0_27
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-803-0_27
ID  - García2026
ER  -