A report showed that life satisfaction among farmers dropped from 7.5 out of 10 in 2012 to 7.1 in 2017, with a further decline since. In 2020, the Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO) conducted a study on farmer stress and mental well-being. The findings revealed that 48% of farmers felt mentally exhausted by their work and 42% reported that their work negatively impacted their social life. The research also demonstrated that much is expected of farmers and horticulturalists. It is a profession with many challenges and uncertainties, and also a culture of silence. Being concerned with mental well-being is seen as soft and dealing with difficulties is often solved by simply working even harder (44% of those surveyed). There were clear opportunities here for a reversal of this social norm.

First and foremost, the project needed to identify the well-being needs of young farmers and horticulturalists. After that, the priority was to develop an innovative mental well-being educational trajectory in Flemish higher education for all students, future farmers and horticulturalists.

In parallel, it was important to raise awareness and involve young farmers in working on their own mental well-being and that of others, to offer support and tools to strengthen mental well-being and positive mental health, and to increase networking.

In addition, the project hoped to provide visibility for farmers and horticulturalists and put them in a more positive light.

The project commenced with a needs assessment, mapped out by the Operational Group and based on earlier research by the ILVO. The content of the synthesis was reviewed using a questionnaire and presented to the consulting and advisory group, and a focus group with young farmers and horticulturalists.

In total, eight group sessions, 24 environmental interventions and four magazines were developed. The purpose was to give students tangible tools while also promoting continuity of learning and bridging the gap between life at school and life alongside and after school.

This was followed by the dissemination and implementation phase. Various stakeholders were informed and consulted in advance. Gezond Leven then took part in a poster exhibition at a network event of the Flemish Rural Network and gave two active workshops to explain the goals, process and future vision. Heads of higher education received an informative email and were offered the opportunity to talk in person about the approach to the educational trajectory, as well as to download and use the guidelines and materials. Various stakeholders were invited to a presentation and press event, while all partners of the Operational Group have an information page about the project on their own website.

All material and information can be found and downloaded on the Gezond Leven website.

Eight group sessions were held, focusing on theory, exchange and practice. There were also 24 environmental interventions to make the concept and importance of mental well-being visible and present in the context in which young farmers find themselves, increasing awareness, self-reflection and normalising coping with their well-being. Four magazines were also produced, containing exercises, quotes and explanations, centred on three building blocks and the orange sphere of the happiness triangle.

All students from agricultural and horticultural disciplines can benefit from the content and exercises that are offered within the education trajectory. Furthermore, since the material is available online, any farmer struggling with mental well-being can download the magazines and get started with the material, with support available where necessary.

The project fostered a co-creative process, with the involvement of a wide variety of stakeholders from the fields of education, agriculture and health and prevention. The collaboration between various partners and stakeholders created a bridge between the agricultural sector and mainstream offerings around mental health. A number of partnerships were established throughout the project between those various fields to align theory, content and practice.

On a broader level, the content and exercises promote awareness, critical thinking, discussion and understanding of one’s own situation and that of others.

One of the major plus points was the collaboration between agriculture, education, and health/prevention to align theory, content and practice. Indeed, all relevant stakeholders were involved throughout the process.

A real source of satisfaction for the project was the representation of the voice and vision of a cohort, be it farmers, horticulturalists or students, through sharing experiences during sessions of the educational trajectory.

The project was active on social media, participated in environmental interventions, and shared experiences during presentations and with the press.

Overall, a belief emerged among all stakeholders that this process can create more happiness by being enthusiastic about opportunities, through support among stakeholders and a shared positive vision of the future.