Lack of public appreciation contributes to loneliness in farming, study shows

• Many farmers interviewed in study by University of Exeter and The Farming Community Network felt disconnected from wider public
• Some had been sworn at or subjected to other forms of criticism or abuse during the course of their working day
• Loneliness was found to be linked to mental health problems such as depression and anxiety
• Study calls for greater strengthening of connections between farming and non-farming, including more opportunities to engage with agriculture, promoting local food networks and more empathy from Government and regulators

A lack of public appreciation for farmers and understanding of the work they do and the pressures they’re under contributes to feelings of loneliness, according to a new study published this month in the journal Sociologia Ruralis.

In the study, titled ‘It’s a lonely old world’: Developing a multidimensional understanding of loneliness in farming’, researchers from the University of Exeter’s Centre for Rural Policy Research and national charity The Farming Community Network (FCN) explored the causes of feelings of isolation and loneliness in farming communities.

The study involved in-depth interviews with 22 farmers/members of farming families and 6 farm support practitioners in England, conducted either by telephone or video-call between March and July 2021.

One of the key findings is that many of the farmers who were interviewed as part of the study felt undervalued, identifying a feeling of ‘disconnect’ between farmers and wider society, and a lack of understanding from the general public about what is involved in farming and its unique pressures.

Loneliness was found in the study to be linked to mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.Some of the farmers interviewed had been subjected to abusive behaviour, including being sworn at during the course of their working day.

One farming man, aged 40-49, said: “In the local village the demographic has completely changed in the past 20 years. And you get sly comments or something from a footpath walker or you quite often get…someone flicking you the Vs on the road, or beeping their horn because you’re in the tractor going from A to B. So you get the sense that the local community isn’t really your best friend. You feel a bit of an alien on your own doorstep.”

One farm support practitioner talked about how she had supported farmers in one area where an increase in the local population – following a large housing development – had led to farmers feeling more isolated because of complaints they received about aspects such as noise from cows and tractors.

The study also found that farmers are keen to highlight the vital role they play in producing food, and the positive actions they are taking to care for and improve the environment, but feel these are often overlooked in media stories about agriculture and environmental issues such as climate change.

Dr Rebecca Wheeler, Senior Research Fellow from the Centre for Rural Policy Research at the University of Exeter, said: “Cultural loneliness refers to feelings that arise from a sense of difference with others in the wider community – including feelings of being an outsider or being misunderstood by other cultural groups.

“It’s concerning to see that this type of loneliness repeatedly emerged in participants’ stories, with many farmers describing or alluding to a strong sense of disconnection with the wider public, and of feeling undervalued and misunderstood by government and society.”

The paper, ‘It’s a lonely old world’: Developing a multidimensional understanding of loneliness in farming’, published in the journal Sociologia Ruralis, is available here.

This project has been funded by the Loneliness & Social Isolation in Mental Health Research Network, which is funded by UK Research and Innovation.