Prevention of ill-being and suicide risk in farming

The publication on 3 February 2022, under the aegis of the Ministers responsible for Agriculture, Health, Solidarity and Labour, of the interministerial circular on "the methods for managing the roadmap for the prevention of ill-being and for supporting farmers and agricultural employees" and the simultaneous appointment of a national coordinator, launched the implementation of this roadmap announced on 23 November.

This represents, for the first time in such a formal way, the affirmation of an interministerial public policy on the prevention and management of suicide risk and ill-being in farming. This new concern is indicative, not only of a greater sensitivity of society to suicide risk and, more generally, psychosocial risks, as seen in other sectors, but also the consequences of the profound change that agriculture is undergoing today, this “third agricultural revolution”, which significantly increases the pressures on farmers and agricultural production workers alike. In this respect, it is worth noting the relevance of the choice made at the launch to not limit the scope of this policy to farmers alone, but to extend it to all agricultural workers, engaged in agricultural production, regardless of their status, who face partly similar risks.

The developments that led to the roadmap just over a year after its launch have helped to shape a comprehensive plan for this population to prevent and manage ill-being and suicide risk in farming, based on:

• Improving knowledge of risk and risk factors (part 1).
• Primary prevention by tackling risk factors (part 2).
• The detection, support and management of persons at risk (part 3).
• The involvement of all stakeholders through an original and flexible coordination system at both national and territorial level (part 4).