Last updated on 12 May 2026
‘It’s completely crazy, I never imagined it was like this!’ exclaims Lucas, 16, by removing his virtual reality headset. He has just spent five minutes as a breeder in the heart of a cattle farm.
Alongside him, three other students from his high school in turn emerge from this virtual immersion, still shaken by the experience. This morning, their class is testing an unusual device: virtual reality films that immerse viewers in the daily life of the livestock and meat trades. An initiative that shakes up prejudices about these often misunderstood professions.
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An immersion in the heart of the trades
5:30 in the morning. The sun is not yet up when the 360° camera transports us to the Sandrine farm. The calf farmer sneaks between the boxes, followed by a cacophony of impatient bites. The scene is striking: we are there, in the midst of the beasts, so close that we could almost touch them. ‘When you are with a calf, it is as if you are with someone. I can’t explain it, it lives on," she says.
This scene is taken from one of the four immersive films Métiers360, developed by INTERBEV, the main association of the livestock and meat sector in France.
Exit traditional job descriptions and remote observation courses: technology now allows full immersion in these professions. "It is as if we were really there," confirms Sarah, a guidance counsellor. Young people come out with a completely different vision of these professions.
A pedagogical innovation for career guidance
Each film, lasting between 5 and 6 minutes, is much more than just a teaching aid: it is a total immersion thanks to 360° filming. With a helmet on your head, you're not just watching a scene, you're transported there! Whether in the heart of a sheepfold, a cutting room or a butcher’s shop, you closely observe the gestures, looks and working rhythms of 12 trades.
Designed for teachers, guidance counsellors, middle school students, high school students or adults undergoing retraining, these films adapt to a variety of contexts: trade forums, trade shows, or classroom sessions. To organise them, just contact the INTERBEV regional committees (see map), within the limits of available slots. Each screening includes an exchange led by professionals, transforming the immersive experience into an enriching reflection on career paths.
Know-how that comes to life on the ground
Breeders, butchers, agronomists, livestock traders, slaughterhouse technicians, processing operators and livestock transporters … The richness and diversity of these professions are now illustrated through virtual reality. The precise gestures, the transmission of knowledge and sound immersion highlight all the demands and nobility of these professions, which are deeply rooted in life.
Jean-Charles, a cattle trader, summarised: I go to the farms to estimate the animals and see where they can be placed. We must love human and animal contact. It’s not learned in a book, it’s learned on the ground.’
Laurent, a breeder, points out the risk: We work with the living, so we have no control over anything. We adapt to our territory, to our terroir. You can't go against nature or the seasons, because, anyway, if you go against …, it doesn't work.’
Technology at the service of everyday life
Beyond the transmission of know-how, INTERBEV’s films show a sector in full transformation. Here you will find:
- cameras to monitor calving remotely,
- connected collars to optimize inseminations,
- exoskeletons in butchery that facilitate the carrying of loads,
- and herd management software that transforms everyday life.
Guillaume, sheep and cattle breeder, testifies: ‘ Moving from paper book to digital book via herd management software has changed everything. »
These amazing innovations are particularly attractive for young people: they facilitate work, increase safety and demonstrate that it is possible to combine traditional know-how with modernity.
Pedagogical resources to stimulate vocations
In recruitment tension, the meat sector relies on these immersions to change eyes. “I am fortunate to have the most beautiful office in the world and to have helped shape this landscape every day”, entrusts Guillaume again.
This message is particularly relevant for young people and adults in retraining, who are concerned about the environment and the meaning of their future careers. These films showcase a chain of passionate men and women whose actions shape our food.
To organise an immersive session in your classroom, contact the INTERBEV regional committee: www.interbev.fr/interbev/comites-régionaux/
This article is published as part of a partnership with INTERBEV
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