EDM: Mental health in farming

Mental health in farming

Tabled by Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat) 39 signatures

The motion

That this House recognises the mental health crisis among the British agricultural sector; acknowledges that 95% of farmers in the UK under the age of 40 ranked poor mental health as one of the biggest hidden problems facing the industry; is concerned by RABI’s findings that revealed that one-in-five respondents to their Big Farming Survey knew someone within the sector who had taken their own life; further recognises the host of challenges facing British farmers from high energy, feed and fertiliser costs to unfair trade deals that have undercut the industry; understands that climate change has increased the risks of flooding and temperature increases that reduce crop yields and disrupt growing seasons; shows regret at the Government’s recent proposed changes to APR and BPR that will have a negative impact on family farms across the country that are already struggling to be profitable; commends the work of mental health charities such as the Farm Safety Foundation whose annual Mind Your Head campaign aims to raise awareness of this growing issue within farming; and calls on the Government to reverse the changes to APR, increase the farming budget by £1 billion a year and improve access to mental health services in rural areas by supporting the continued roll-out of mental health hubs.

Signatories (39)