Agriculture: Mental Health Pressures
Lord Bishop of Hereford Excerpts(2Â weeks, 1Â day ago)
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The Lord Bishop of Hereford
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of economic uncertainty, regulatory change, and environmental pressures on the mental health of those working in agriculture.
The Lord Bishop of Hereford
My Lords, I am grateful for the opportunity to raise this issue in your Lordships’ House. I declare my interest as a patron of the Agricultural Chaplains Association and bishop of the most rural diocese in England. Clergy and agricultural chaplains across my diocese, and indeed the nation, are on the front line of the pastoral response to the mental health crisis among agricultural workers. They are so often the ones who show up in times of crisis and sit with people at their moments of greatest need. They provide comfort to the families of the recently bereaved and take funerals.
Although it is imperfect, evidence suggests that British farming communities experience mental health concerns and likely rates of suicide disproportionate to the general population of Britain. The Royal Agriculture Benevolent Institution’s 2021 Big Farming Survey found that almost a fifth of respondents knew someone who had attempted suicide in the last five years. Indeed, 94% of British farmers agreed that poor mental health is the biggest hidden problem facing farmers today, according to the Farm Safety Foundation’s 2025 report.
There are multiple reasons for this. Farmers are the worst affected by the recent turbulence brought on by climate change. In only the last 18 months, we have experienced our two hottest summers on record and an extremely wet winter. Farmers are devastated by the loss of their crops due to wildfires, flooding and extreme heat, and the pests and diseases they bring. They have been forced to eat into their winter forage reserves, rework irrigation systems and add flood defences. The threat of extreme weather and climate change is keeping farmers awake at night. They are faced with tackling the worst bluetongue outbreak the nation has faced and bearing the costs of veterinary bills, vaccines and other associated expenses. The financial burden is considerable, but so too is the emotional strain of dealing with disease, uncertainty and livestock losses.
I will take a moment to thank the noble Baroness, Lady Mallalieu—I hope she will forgive me if I have pronounced that wrong—for her written support ahead of today’s debate. She drew my attention to the extraordinary pressures being felt across the wider agricultural support network. She told me that kennels collecting fallen stock in her area have at times visited as many as 140 farms in a single day—a stark illustration of the enormous strain that climate-related pressures are placing on the wider industry.
Secondly, as farmers consider their approach to the future, they do so against a backdrop of continual policy and regulatory change. The 2023 report from the Defra Select Committee in the other place on rural mental health highlighted the stress caused by changing regulatory frameworks and support schemes. Farmers must necessarily take a long-term view of their business, yet find themselves navigating a constantly shifting landscape of environmental incentives, land management requirements and biodiversity obligations. Farmers are resilient and, even if they disagree with policy, they will make it work if they have consistency. The current challenging environment in food security suggests the need for significant cross-party collaboration for a longer-term stable regulatory and policy framework.
Alongside this uncertainty sits intense financial pressure. Rising costs for fertiliser, fuel and machinery have squeezed already tight margins. For many, concerns around their farm’s long-term viability remain a constant source of anxiety. A remarkable farming support charity in my diocese, We Are Farming Minds, reports growing numbers of farmers struggling with money worries, insecure tenancies, family disputes over farm succession, legal issues and the challenge of keeping businesses afloat amid volatile markets—paperwork and administration add a further burden.
A fifth of those living rurally report poor mental health due to social isolation. For agricultural workers, this is exacerbated by long hours working alone and the increasing closure of farmers’ markets, which are places of community as well as commerce. Many also express a sense that farming is undervalued by wider society, despite the essential role that farmers play—a point well made by the noble Lord, Lord Deben, in his supplementary question earlier today.
At the same time, cultures of resilience within farming communities can create a stigma around discussing mental ill-health, discouraging people from seeking support when they need it most. Of course, in times of mental crisis, many farmers have access to firearms and agricultural chemicals, making timely and preventive support critical.
Yet there are also reasons for hope. Across the country, communities, charities and front-line organisations are developing innovative ways to reach those who might never walk through the door of a traditional mental health service. Some organisations choose to bring life-saving community to farmers, such as the monthly butty van—a joint project between the diocese of Hereford and the Methodist Church which offers a breakfast, hot drink and conversation to farmers. Others organise pop-up well-being clinics at livestock markets and agricultural shows, such as health huts, which offer both mental health advice and medical assistance. Still others train the people who farmers already trust. The DPJ Foundation equips industry professionals to spot mental health symptoms and runs a “share the load” counselling service.
I am grateful to have met the Minister earlier this week to discuss the well-being of farming communities, and I thank her for her sustained advocacy on behalf of farmers and the careful attention she has given to the many interconnected pressures affecting the sector, from mental health and welfare support through to the practical regulatory challenges that shape everyday life on farms. I warmly welcome the Government’s farmer welfare grant—a timely commitment of £1.5 million over the coming three years. It is heartening that the Minister recognises that behind every harvest and herd are men and women carrying burdens of isolation, anxiety and financial pressure that too often go unseen. Through this funding, projects such as the butty van will be better equipped to continue their vital work.
Of course, I recognise the financial constraints under which the Government are operating and the difficult choices Ministers face across public spending. In that context, this funding is a welcome and valuable investment. However, grants are a precision tool: their scope is limited, their budgets finite and their duration temporary. While this funding is due to run until 2029, charities and support organisations need longer-term certainty if they are to recruit and retain skilled staff, build trusted relationships within communities and plan effectively for the future. I hope, therefore, that the Minister will consider how this promising start might be developed into a more sustainable funding settlement.
However, as the Minister and I discussed in person, improving mental health in farming is not simply about responding to crisis; it is about creating the conditions in which farmers and farming can thrive. The Minister has rightly been engaging with practical issues such as on-farm reservoirs and water storage, and I welcome efforts to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens where possible.
Prevention and early intervention should be at the heart of the Government’s approach. If awareness of mental health challenges becomes second nature across the sector, we can identify problems sooner, connect people with support earlier and help prevent avoidable tragedies. In doing so, we can build a healthier farming workforce and more resilient rural communities.
Farming and Food Production: Land Use Framework
Lord Bishop of Hereford Excerpts(2Â months, 1Â week ago)
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Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)
This comes right back to the beginning: if we are to bring down energy costs, we need to be more self-sufficient in energy, and, if we are to be more self-sufficient in energy, we need to invest in renewable energies and nuclear.
The Lord Bishop of Hereford
My Lords, if the vision of the land use framework is realised, 9% of utilised farmland will be removed from food production for nature restoration. We will therefore be asking British farmers to farm efficiently on the remaining land while meeting our high standards of animal welfare and environmental stewardship. Does the Minister agree that it is both economically and ethically important that imported food meets equivalent standards? If so, what consideration have the Government given to establishing core welfare and environmental standards for imports so that we do not simply offshore the environmental costs of food production?
Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)
The right reverend Prelate makes a really important point. In our trade agreements, we have been very clear that we will not have food that is produced to lower standards than those in this country. That has always been a red line for Defra during trade agreements. That will continue. The environmental aspects are also really important, because there is no point in us increasing our standards if that gap is then filled with lower standards. I am certainly very keen to continue to promote this within Defra.
Animal Welfare Strategy: Rural Communities
Lord Bishop of Hereford Excerpts(7Â months, 2Â weeks ago)
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Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)
I do not think that the ban on trail hunting is the major concern of most rural communities. Most rural communities, including the one I live in, are more concerned about the fact that they may not have a GP, that may not be able to access a dentist, that their digital connectivity is poor and they cannot get a mobile signal, and that the economy is struggling—we know that rural productivity is less than urban productivity. There are many issues that impact rural communities. To reiterate, anyone who has an interest in or concerns around the ban should take part in the consultation.
The Lord Bishop of Hereford
My Lords, we would all like to see the minimising of pain and distress to animals prior to slaughter, yet currently a substantial number of animals are slaughtered without prior stunning due to a derogation within domestic legislation, even though, as I understand it from speaking to a large halal slaughter house in my diocese, such stunning is acceptable within Islam. Will His Majesty’s Government work actively with our Jewish and Muslim friends to understand their religious needs and support the development of acceptable stunning methods and improve their uptake within those communities?
Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)
The right reverend Prelate raises an important issue. I have previously met representatives from both Jewish and Muslim communities on religious slaughter. There is some acceptance of pre-stun slaughter for halal meat, as the right reverend Prelate pointed out. We are discussing that within the department. I will continue to do so, because animal welfare has to be at the forefront when we look at slaughter.
Farming and Rural Communities
Lord Bishop of Hereford Excerpts(1Â year, 5Â months ago)
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The Lord Bishop of Hereford
My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Roborough, for introducing this important debate. I speak as the Bishop of the most rural diocese in the Church of England.
Agriculture provides significant employment and is extremely diverse, from substantial agribusinesses to small family farms, and from large arable enterprises to small livestock hill farms. Prior to ordination, I worked as an agronomist, advising farmers on all aspects of crop production, translating scientific research into the practical solutions commended by the noble Lord, Lord Carrington. I have the privilege this year of being president of the Three Counties Show at Malvern, an event I warmly commend to noble Lords as a splendid day out.
However, over 40 years of involvement in the sector, I can honestly say that I have never seen morale so low nor such disillusionment with the Government’s capacity to understand and respond to the needs of the agricultural industry. A thriving agri-farming industry is essential to the wider health of the rural economy. Family farms are at the heart of this ecology. The inevitable consolidation of units that will ensue from proposed changes in APR and BPR will have huge knock-on effects on support industries, lead to rural depopulation and undermine the viability of many local services and businesses.
The Government have already rejected very reasonable alternative proposals from the NFU for a clawback mechanism, which I need not rehearse here. There are injustices in the existing application of APR and BPR which need to be addressed, as the noble Lord, Lord Davies of Brixton, has already mentioned in this debate.
The NFU proposals, which mirror similar practices in the rest of Europe, would go a significant way to addressing these without collateral damage to small family farms. A conservative modelling shows that such a clawback scheme would still raise an extra £554 million for the Treasury—some 7% more than the return from current proposals. I hope the conversation about agricultural policy can move beyond an arid discussion of numbers and economic modelling. This speaks to questions of honesty and good governance.
This Government campaigned on a manifesto pledge to support farmers and stimulate rural economic growth. I attended an event in this House shortly after the election, at which I am sure I remember the Minister assuring us that no changes to APR and BPR were planned—and yet within weeks, those assurances had been set aside.
Members of the Government in the other place have distanced themselves from government policy on inheritance tax, recognising the serious effects it will have on their farming constituents. Given that the proposed changes to inheritance tax seem to have been driven by the Treasury without consultation with Defra, there would be no shame in thinking again as the implications of this policy for small family farms become evident.
Foremost in my mind are the men and women who provide the food we eat and who work in an industry that is extraordinarily demanding. In all weathers, with a woeful return on capital and working hours that would be unacceptable in almost any other walk of life, they produce the most basic staples of life. Theirs is the mental health and well-being undermined by the proposed taxation policy. They feel ignored, misunderstood and marginalised. I urge the Government to ensure that this community’s voice is heard and responded to.
Food Security
Lord Bishop of Hereford Excerpts(1Â year, 10Â months ago)
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The Lord Bishop of Hereford
To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve food security.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Baroness Hayman of Ullock) (Lab)
My Lords, the Labour Government have committed £5 billion to the agricultural budget over the next two years, which is the biggest budget for sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in our history. The uplift to £1.8 billion, in 2025-26, for environmental land management schemes will boost food security and accelerate the transition to a more resilient and sustainable farming sector. We are also investing £60 million to support farmers who were affected by the unprecedented extreme wet weather last winter.
The Lord Bishop of Hereford
I thank the Minister for her Answer. As an agricultural adviser in a previous life, I observed at first hand the vital contribution of both research and investment to agricultural productivity, which is fundamental to domestic food production and food security. Yet both the NFU and CLA estimate that the recent changes to APR and BPR will lead to a substantial reduction in investment. Were the impacts of these tax changes on investment and productivity modelled with Defra before their introduction? If not, can His Majesty’s Government undertake such an impact assessment and make it available to Members of the House?
Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)
As I am sure noble Lords are aware, we are reforming APR and looking to do it in a way that protects small family farms and protects food security and resilience. The right reverend Prelate made some good points around this and the potential impacts of it. I will take his comments back to my honourable friend the Farming Minister, who is currently in discussions on those matters.
Fair Dealing Obligations (Milk) Regulations 2024
Lord Bishop of Hereford Excerpts(2Â years, 6Â months ago)
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The Lord Bishop of Hereford
My Lords, I applaud His Majesty’s Government for these new contract regulations. They are both comprehensive and long overdue in addressing matters of serious injustice in the dairy farming sector. Unfair milk contracts have been an area of concern for the dairy sector for many years, going back to the voluntary code of practice for dairy contracts, introduced in 2012. In their current form, most milk contracts do not create mutually balanced business relationships between buyers and sellers. Rights and obligations are often heavily biased in favour of buyers.
At times of pressure, purchasers have been able to change contract terms and pricing mechanisms, in some instances even introducing retrospective penalties and price cuts without negotiation. The Covid-19 crisis saw many of these scenarios play out. Farmers were hit with price cuts at no notice, a lack of transparency on pricing, and delayed payments, resulting in significant pressures on producers during this challenging period.
These regulations will see freely negotiated and fairly balanced contracts, tailored to the needs of both buyers and farmers. They mark a significant step forward. It will be important for industry and government to help support the development of farmer representation structures, such as producer organisations within the dairy sector, to make the most of the regulations and improve trust and collaboration across the supply chain.
This legislation contains extensive powers for the Secretary of State to oversee and enforce the code. I welcome the recruitment of the agricultural supply chain adjudicator, who will, among other things, enforce the regulations on behalf of the Secretary of State. Can the Minister clarify whether it is intended that the person appointed to this role will learn from the operation of the Groceries Code Adjudicator, which has been in operation since 2013?
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con)
My Lords, I warmly congratulate my noble friend on bringing forward these regulations. They plug a gap which has long been open, as most farmers do not supply supermarkets directly and so are not covered by the Groceries Code Adjudicator.
When I chaired the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee in the other place, I took a small delegation to Denmark to learn about the effectiveness of its milk and other co-operatives. Does my noble friend see this as an opportunity to encourage more co-operatives and producer organisations than we have seen in the past?
I grew up in the hills of the north of England, where I could see how fiercely independent hill farmers and others were. There is often a certain resistance to working together. I hope that the regulations my noble friend has presented this evening will lend themselves to producing such co-operation in future.
The NFU has long argued for fairer, more transparent supply chains. I hope that its pleas will be rewarded in the regulations before us. Can my noble friend assure the House that the Government will lend their support to the development of representational structures, such as the producer organisations and co-operatives to which he alluded? This will ensure that the dairy sector can work collaboratively and effectively with improved trust and greater collaboration across the supply chain.
I warmly welcome these regulations.