Good initiatives and elements of replicability to support the mental health of farmers and farming communities

Despite the recent academic and political interest, initiatives dedicated to tackling mental health issues in farming are still exceptional. This is reflected in the European Commission’s strategy for mental health, which highlights that mental health initiatives need to be applicable horizontally across policies, asking for more consideration through existing and new European and Member States’ policies. Building on this momentum, Member States and European institutions are called to promote mental health in farming through targeted initiatives.

The EU CAP Network recently focused on this delicate topic with a Thematic Group on Supporting the Mental Health of Farmers and Farming Communities, and involved a group of committed stakeholders from across the EU who shared their experiences and insights. This briefing, prepared by experts Sally Shortall and Salvatore Barillà, completes the work of the Thematic Group.

The briefing explores best practices in mental health initiatives for farmers and farming communities in the EU. It identifies initiatives at the local, national, and European level. Furthermore, this paper provides necessary insights to analyse the common traits shared by these successful local, national, and European initiatives. This document looks at the main challenges these initiatives face and at possible solutions, providing key questions to help practitioners and policymakers advance the debate on mental health in farming in the EU.

This analysis of successful examples of local, national, and European initiatives on mental health in farming shows the importance of a strategic and coordinated plan of action at the national level, as well as the importance of trained advisors in the agricultural sector. The briefing concludes with some important questions that policymakers at the European and national level are required to ask themselves in order to advance the debate on mental health in farming.