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There is no doubt that people work hard to get food from farms to our stomachs through the food chain.
Harvesting, processing, transporting, preparing and serving food can take a huge toll not only on people's bodies, but also on their mental health and well-being.
A Nebraska study published in the Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health calculated that depression rates alone among farmworkers could be as high as 45 percent. Falling prices, lower yields due to climate disasters, debt, and political instability such as trade disputes and food bailouts are all putting pressure on farmers. Almost half of agricultural workers (42%, according to a California study) face low or very low food security, and many lack adequate rest and protection from heat and cold. Not yet.
Fishermen and aquaculture workers are also exposed to harsh environmental conditions and work long hours in isolation. A meat processor reports symptoms of victim-induced traumatic stress, a form of his PTSD, resulting from traumatizing animals.
An anonymous abattoir worker told the BBC: “I wasn't physically injured, but the place affected me mentally.” “As I spent each day in a large box with no windows, my chest felt heavier and heavier, and a gray fog settled in…After a while, I began to feel suicidal.”
Additionally, the restaurant and food service industry is one of the most unhealthy workplaces for mental health, according to Mental Health America. A majority or nearly half of restaurant workers say they face emotional abuse and disrespect from both customers and managers, and feel “driven to breaking point.”
For some people, the mental health challenges of working in the food system are life-or-death. Farmers, ranchers, and farm managers are 1.5 to 2 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Other analyzes say that number is more likely to be 3.5x.
These examples are heartbreaking. The people who support our food system deserve a livelihood that builds it up, not destroys it.
We want to shine a light on the incredible advocates who are working to change this reality and save lives.
Cultivemos, a program of the National Young Farmers Coalition, is building a provider network in the northeastern United States to build access to health behaviors and improve outcomes for farmworkers.
Rural Resilience creates online educational workshops to improve farmers' mental health care. The Minnesota Rural Mental Health Assistance Program has great results by meeting with farmers who come for counseling. Project Black and Blue is dedicated to serving food service workers in crisis, helping to make medical and health treatment economically possible.
The Maine Coast Fishermen's Association runs a wellness program that connects organizations and opportunities with fishermen and their families, and a limited edition podcast series helped spark more important conversations. The National Farmworker Health Center also provides mental health resources for farmworkers.
These organizations and many others are on that path. Step up to feed those who work every day to feed us. Here is a list of 22 more amazing groups supporting mental health at every step of the food chain that we published a few years ago.
This issue highlights deep cracks in our food and farming systems. Poor mental health is rooted in a productive economy that fails to protect the most vulnerable. While there is a lot of talk on social media about the important concepts of wellness and self-care, these alone are not enough to address the complex stressors and psychological factors experienced by food system workers. . And in many cases, those are luxuries that food and agriculture workers just can't afford.
To truly transform the state of mental health in our food system and improve the lives of those who work within it, we must create healthier working conditions, make counseling more readily available, and improve the lives of those who work in it. Substantive policy measures and concrete financial resources are needed to ensure access and support. People develop economic stability and food security.
And let's not forget the additional threats of sexual harassment and discrimination that women of color and farmworkers face. A study published in the Journal of Rural Mental Health found that the psychological stressors faced by employed Latino farmworkers were greater than those faced by unemployed workers. Masu.
Thankfully, over the last few years, we've been right, as policymakers have recognized and acted on the fact that mental health needs to be taken as seriously as physical health in the food industry. heading in the direction. Under the Biden-Harris administration, significant funding is being directed toward rural prosperity, including funding for USDA programs that provide convenient access to mental health care.
The bipartisan Fisheries Safety, Health, and Wellness Improvement (FISH Wellness) Act, introduced in the U.S. Senate last year, seeks to expand existing programs to encompass more aspects of worker well-being. This model can be imitated in other fields. Too. The bipartisan Farmers First Act calls for expanding and strengthening behavioral health services in rural areas, and the Farmworker Mental Health Support Act includes groups eligible for support from the Farm and Ranch Stress Support Network. farm workers will be explicitly included.
The food and agricultural worker mental health crisis is a systemic problem. We cannot bring about meaningful change in our food systems unless we take action to protect the lives and livelihoods of the people who power our food systems.
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Photo credit: Tim Mossholder on Unsplash