Across the globe, farmers—the hands that feed billions—are under unprecedented strain. With insecurity, failed harvests, and mounting debt pushing many farmers to breaking point, crushing economic pressures, unpredictable weather extremes, and the emotional toll of long, isolating hours are now fuelling a surge in mental-health distress — from escalating anxiety and depression to rising cases of suicide. From Nigeria to the UK and India, research reveals that this hidden epidemic is not only devastating rural communities but also threatening the very sustainability of global food systems, putting global food security at serious risk, reports DANIEL ESSIET
A global food system under strain
Across the world, the future of food hangs in a delicate balance. Even as farms produce more than ever before and agrifood systems continue to power economies, the people who make this possible—the farmers—are under unprecedented strain. This is one of the striking realities revealed in the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)’s Statistical Yearbook 2024, a publication that not only tracks global agricultural performance but also exposes the quiet emergencies threatening its sustainability.
According to the Yearbook, the value of global agricultural production has surged by 89 per cent in real terms over the past two decades, reaching $3.8 trillion in 2022. Yet this impressive growth masks troubling undercurrents. Agriculture’s contribution to global economic output has remained almost unchanged, and the sector’s workforce is shrinking rapidly—from 40 per cent of the global labour force in 2000 to just 26 per cent in 2022. This dwindling workforce, experts warn, could imperil food supplies unless agriculture becomes a more attractive, healthier and safer occupation.
The silent mental health crisis in farming communities
But the greatest threat may not be economic. Farmers worldwide are confronting a silent yet devastating mental health crisis—one that researchers say is too pressing to ignore. From crushing workloads and unpredictable weather to tightening regulations and isolation, the pressures facing farmers have created conditions ripe for anxiety, depression and burnout. The United Kingdom offers a revealing case study. A report submitted to Parliament by the University of Oxford, Mental Health Risks to Farmers in the UK, paints a stark picture of the sector’s wellbeing. It found farmers to be at significantly higher risk of mental ill-health and suicide than the general population, citing 102 suicides among agricultural workers in England and Wales in 2019 alone. Similar concerns have been recorded in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Notably, women—whose roles on farms often go unrecognised—face their own set of challenges. To address this gap, the University of Exeter has launched a national wellbeing survey specifically targeting women living and working in farming communities. Project lead Dr Rebecca Wheeler, working with the Farming Community Network, said the initiative seeks to understand not only the difficulties farmers face but also what supports their health and happiness.
Another major study by Exeter’s Centre for Rural Policy Research, involving more than 15,000 agricultural workers, reveals the scale of the crisis. Over half reported moderate or severe pain or discomfort, 31 per cent experienced anxiety or depression, and 16 per cent had suffered a non-fatal injury in the past five years. Many also struggled with exhaustion, paperwork, financial instability, erratic weather and disease outbreaks. Wheeler described the findings as profoundly worrying, noting that today’s farming environment combines physical, emotional and financial pressures in ways that make the sector increasingly vulnerable. Without urgent reforms, she warned, the world risks losing the very people who keep its food systems alive.
According to the study, long hours, volatile markets and the isolating nature of rural life all play a role in the declining wellbeing of farmers. Many now work more than 60 hours a week, often in solitude, while battling rising production costs, uncertain subsidies and the emotional strain of caring for animals through disease outbreaks and extreme weather. Prof. Matt Lobley, co-author of the University of Exeter study, said the findings should serve as a wake-up call to policymakers. “This research provides compelling evidence of the need to understand and address both physical and mental health issues among people living and working in agriculture. A sustainable and resilient food system requires a healthy agricultural workforce able to maintain and improve production without detriment to themselves and their families,” he said.
As farmers navigate the pressures of a rapidly changing industry—from climate shocks to shifting environmental policies—experts argue that proactive support cannot be delayed. Recommendations include improved data collection, better rural healthcare services, mental-health first-aid training and closer government collaboration with trusted community networks. Without such interventions, they warn, farmer wellbeing will continue to worsen, posing long-term risks to the sustainability of the UK’s entire food production system.
A deepening crisis across the global south
Similar concerns are emerging across developing countries, where falling productivity is becoming increasingly apparent. Researchers at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University found that farmers are struggling to keep pace with global demand. Their analysis shows that growth in farm productivity—measured through total factor productivity—is far below the levels required to maintain adequate global food supplies. In many developed nations, farm yields have even plateaued.
In the UK, the Farm Safety Foundation found that 91 per cent of British farmers consider poor mental health the “biggest hidden problem” in the industry. A survey of 754 farmers in September 2024 revealed declining mental wellbeing across the sector. The study also showed that farmers worked even longer hours in 2024 than in 2023—far above the averages in other industries. The charity highlighted agriculture’s grim safety record, citing Office for National Statistics data showing 44 suicides among agricultural workers in England and Wales in 2022. Dr. Stephanie Berkeley of the Foundation noted: “Farming has always been one of the most demanding industries, but the added strain of long hours, rural isolation and financial insecurity is putting farmers at risk.”
The situation is equally dire in India. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), at least one person working in the farm sector died by suicide every hour in 2023—a stark indicator of the economic stress gripping rural communities. Maharashtra accounted for the highest proportion of victims (38.5 per cent), followed by Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu—regions once known for agricultural abundance but now marked by despair. Although the total number of suicides fell slightly compared with 2022, the scale of the crisis remained severe. In 2023, 10,786 people in the farm sector died by suicide, representing 6.3 per cent of all suicide cases nationwide. Of these, 43 per cent were farmers, while the rest were farm labourers. Nigeria’s farmers face many of the same pressures. Rising stress is linked to unpredictable weather, fluctuating crop yields, loan repayment burdens and volatile market conditions. The Nation learnt that many farmers are experiencing declining quality of life and growing difficulty meeting family obligations.
According to the Chief Executive of Cato Foods, Pelumi Aribisala, the mental health crisis among farmers is a complex and worsening problem. He explained that crop failures, inflation, rising input costs, the effects of climate change and outbreaks such as avian flu have trapped many farmers in cycles of debt and uncertainty. These pressures, he said, are driving growing rates of depression and anxiety among farmers. Aribisala stressed that this silent crisis demands urgent attention and called for systemic support—especially access to affordable land, capital, climate adaptation resources and health insurance—to protect farmers and secure the future of food production.
At the core of the mental health crisis gripping farmers is a deep and growing sense of economic uncertainty—one that leaves many feeling trapped, isolated and overwhelmed. Agricultural expert Pelumi Aribisala captured this reality through recent events in the cassava sector. “Take this year, for instance,” he said. “Many people invested heavily in cassava last year, only to lose everything this year—really lose everything.” The contrast is staggering: what delivered a 125 per cent profit margin the previous year has now swung to losses of more than 300 percent. “It means all the investment, including last year’s profits, has just disappeared,” he added. As a result, farmers are unable to manage their workforce or pay labour costs, plunging many into distress.
Aribisala stressed that such economic shocks carry serious mental health implications. “When we talk about mental health, we’re talking about emotions, psychology and a whole range of interconnected factors. These pressures can lead to depression and other significant issues,” he noted. He recounted troubling cases from the livestock sector, especially in poultry and piggery. “A few years back at Oke-Aro Farm Settlement, many farmers lost their pig farms. Some ended up in the hospital, and tragically, some did not survive. More recently, a farmer developed a partial stroke after losing everything to infections,” he said.
Compounding these stresses is a crippling lack of affordable financing. Aribisala revealed that many farmers secure loans at interest rates as high as 30 to 50 per cent. For those unable to access formal credit, the situation is even worse: “Some are borrowing from loan sharks at monthly interest rates of 4.5, 6 or even 12 per cent. When you do the math, that can amount to nearly 60 per cent annually.” Such financial traps push farmers into cycles of debt and despair.
He emphasised that farmers, too often romanticised as resilient by default, are ordinary people facing extraordinary pressures. “Farmers are people too; they aren’t superheroes,” he said. While suicide statistics from India are stark and well documented, Aribisala noted that similar incidents occur in Nigeria—cases that seldom make it into official reports. Beyond economic pressures, farmers grapple with taxes, physical risks and the sheer unpredictability of their work.
Since 2019, concerns have grown over how COVID-19 lockdowns worsened farmers’ mental health. A joint study by researchers from Ilorin and Federal University Oye-Ekiti found that farmers reported elevated stress, headaches, anxiety and depression during the pandemic. With insecurity, climate shocks, failed harvests and mounting debt, many Nigerian farmers are now operating at breaking point.
Protecting farmers, securing the future
For Kolawole Adeniji, Chief Executive of Niji Farms—one of Nigeria’s largest cassava operations spanning 7,000 acres—the pressures are relentless. He must constantly make high-stakes decisions while facing insecurity, erratic weather, rising costs and volatile markets. Kidnapping fears for farm workers add another layer of distress. “Many farmers are grappling with serious mental health issues, teetering on the brink of losing both their businesses and their hope,” he warned. Adeniji said the signs of psychological strain are visible: changes in routine, reduced care for crops and livestock, rising accidents and deteriorating farm conditions. Severe depression and anxiety often stem from factors outside farmers’ control—crop failures caused by weather extremes, sudden policy shifts and the influx of cheaper imports. These financial blows, he noted, are directly tied to worsening mental health.
For Babatunde Olarewaju, Lead Strategist at FutuX Agri-consult, the crisis is especially pronounced in rural communities, where mental illness frequently goes undiagnosed. “The mental pain often shows up as physical illness. People say, ‘He has malaria,’ but it’s actually depression,” he explained. The consequences can be fatal. “Some even suffer strokes from the shock. I’ve also come across cases of suicide—people hanging themselves when they feel utterly hopeless.”
While farming can be deeply fulfilling, the pressures and risks are immense. Stakeholders agree that this escalating mental health crisis is not merely individual—it is systemic, rooted in economic instability and policy failures. They are calling for comprehensive reforms: stronger economic safety nets, improved rural infrastructure, support for climate resilience, and firm action against insecurity. Without these interventions, the wellbeing of farmers—and the sustainability of the food system they support—remains in peril.
Farmer Samson Ogbole, who runs the innovative Soilless Farm in Ogun State, is one of Nigeria’s leading voices in hydroponics—a farming technique that allows crops to thrive in nutrient-rich water rather than soil. Despite being a pioneer in high-tech agriculture, Ogbole has not been immune to burnout. Years of working in emotionally demanding situations—combined with the pressure of proving that technology can transform food production—have taken a toll. He continues to advocate for the adoption of science and technology in agriculture, urging Nigerians to replicate natural conditions in controlled environments to boost yields, accelerate production, and reduce labour. Yet he has watched promising agri-tech startups collapse under crushing debt, unable to manage the steep financial and operational demands of modern farming.
Every day, Ogbole confronts challenges ranging from unstable market prices and production deadlines to erratic weather, disease outbreaks, physical stress, and the relentless ticking of the agricultural calendar. To support both seasoned farmers and newcomers, he has expanded his mentorship programmes. More recently, he has trained staff to recognise signs of stress, anxiety, and depression in farmers and link them to qualified mental health professionals. His organisation also hosted a forum dedicated to helping farmers recognise early signs of poor mental health, maintain emotional well-being, and seek help when needed. The Soilless Farm Lab designed the event to create a safe space where trainees, farmers, and their families could openly discuss their struggles. “A healthy mind is just as crucial as a healthy body, especially for those who nourish our nation,” Ogbole said. “For too long, farming challenges have been viewed only through the lens of yield and profit. Mental health is the hidden crop that requires our attention.”
He noted that the lab is committed to long-term change. “We’ve woven mental health awareness into our regular training sessions. It’s now part of agricultural education, not a one-off event.” Citing an alarming Nigerian Bureau of Statistics study showing that over 50 per cent of youths experience mental health challenges while less than 10 per cent seek help—largely due to stigma and inadequate resources—he urged farmers to break the silence. “We encourage everyone in our community to prioritise mental health and seek help without hesitation. By fostering these conversations, we hope to build a culture of resilience.”
Recently, the Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, called on policymakers and religious leaders to strengthen the implementation of Nigeria’s livestock policy to promote peace, security, and national unity. Speaking in Abuja at the Second Quarter Policy Review Dialogue, themed From Policy to Practice, he highlighted the central role the livestock sector plays in the country’s conflict dynamics. He described the farmer-herder clashes as a “complex risk system” shaped by climate pressures, demographic changes, weak regulations, governance gaps, and cross-border movements—factors that demand a coordinated and data-driven response. Ochogwu urged improved coordination at all levels of governance, conflict-sensitive implementation strategies, inclusive stakeholder participation, and real-time mon itoring using data on conflict hotspots and pastoralist movement.
As global temperatures rise, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) warns that more workers will face heat stress, urging proactive measures such as planning with forecasts and early warning systems. Its report, Heat at Work, estimates that stronger safety measures could save up to $361 billion worldwide and reveals that heat stress causes nearly 19,000 deaths annually while exposing over 70 per cent of the global workforce to dangerous conditions.
Climate-related pressures are also fuelling mental health crises abroad. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) recently reported rising anxiety and stress among British farmers due to more intense flooding and droughts. Senior scientist Dan Blake noted that declining farmer confidence is tied to worsening extreme weather, compounded by financial strain, policy uncertainty, and social isolation. A separate report by the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) found that climate anxiety is now “almost universal” among British farmers, with nearly all linking their distress to erratic weather and poor harvests—symptoms of a farming sector struggling under the weight of climate change.
