The impact of climate change on British farms and farmers’ mental health

The results of this new research, commissioned by the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) and conducted by Grounded Research, reveal an industry hit hard by extreme weather in recent years, which scientists say is being made worse by human-induced climate change. 98% of farmers have experienced extreme weather in the past five years. The most common experience is extreme rainfall, which has affected more than four out of five farmers (86%), followed by drought which has affected over three quarters (78%). Over half (54%) have been affected by heatwaves, while almost half (47%) have been hit by floods.

This has been very destabilising for farmers. Almost all of them (92%) said they felt anxious during these periods of extreme weather, with a third (34%) saying they felt ‘very anxious’. Additionally, nearly two thirds (60%) said they felt depressed.

There were a range of concerns driving this poor mental health. More than three quarters (78%) of farmers were worried they’d lose their crops or livestock, while over two thirds (68%) were concerned about the costs of recovering from extreme weather.

More than half (52%) weren’t sure what to plant because the weather was too unpredictable, and over a third (34%) were worried they’d have to treat more pests and diseases. Overall, more than two in five farmers (43%) were worried they wouldn’t make enough money to continue farming during these periods of extreme weather.

Many of these concerns became a reality. When asked what impacts extreme weather has had on their farm businesses, more than four out of five (87%) farmers said reduced productivity. Almost the same proportion (84%) experienced a decrease in crop yields or livestock output, while almost a third (29%) suffered complete losses.

Two in five farmers reported an increase in pests and diseases (40%), while a quarter (25%) reported damage to farm buildings. Overall, three quarters (74%) experienced financial losses because of extreme weather.

Concerningly, despite the fact that 92% of farmers experienced feelings of anxiety and 60% feelings of depression due to extreme weather, less than a quarter (24%) of them sought help for it. This perhaps reflects the typical perception of farmers as ‘stoical’ in the face of hardship, a concern for many in the industry who work to encourage farmers to seek help for sources of stress and anxiety.