From 13 June 2018 to 29 January 2019, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri‑Food conducted a study on the mental health challenges facing Canadian producers.

Recent data shows that 7% of Canadians perceive their mental health as fair or poor. Some studies indicated that farmers are more at risk of such challenges. Many witnesses told the Committee that mental health issues are prevalent in their occupation. Some even shared their own experiences in dealing with mental distress.

This report identifies the many stressors that make producers particularly vulnerable to mental health problems. They live with many uncertainties that put them under significant pressure, such as weather events, environmental challenges, market fluctuations, debt, regulations and paperwork. The isolation that many farmers experience and the stigmatization they sometimes face, particularly on social media, amplify this stress.

The report also looks at initiatives across the country to support producers facing mental health challenges. They have been implemented both provincially and nationally by associations, governments and groups of individuals in the agriculture and health sectors. This support takes several forms—telephone help lines, consultations with mental health and agricultural professionals, and funding from the federal government and agricultural producers’ organizations.

However, all of this is not enough. Access to mental health care is still limited in rural areas, health professionals are still not familiar with the unique nature of agriculture, and current efforts to help farmers are not consistent across the country. A number of witnesses pointed out the need to coordinate existing initiatives through a national mental health strategy for farmers. They also recommended allocating more resources to address the root causes of mental health problems, particularly by raising public awareness of the value of farming and providing adequate economic support to the sector.