Convenors

Individuals working and/or living on farm are subject to numerous internal and external stressors, such as environmental pressures, isolation, inclusion and health and safety. The burden of these stressors can be overwhelming and have significant impacts of the individual and the farm business. The aim of this topic is to explore how education and extension can support the mental health and wellbeing of agricultural students, farmers, farm families, workers, and other stakeholders within rural communities.  Abstracts are invited to address a range of topics, which include, but are not limited to:

• How can extension and education promote and encourage resilience among agricultural students, farmers, workers, and farming families, as well as extension, education and other professionals engaged with farmers?

• In many countries the farming population is aging, many farmers live alone…how can related issues be addressed by extension professionals, is there a role for education?

• Do extension and education workers have the skills to promote farmer, worker, and family wellbeing, health and safety? Is this their role and does this responsibility place an additional burden on them? If so, how can they be supported in this function, also to look after their own mental health? What responsibility do agricultural extension workers have, if any in relation to difficult issues such as suicide? Are there potential downsides of asking non-medical experts to support mental health, rather than supporting the professionalisation of mental health provision in agriculture? What are the barriers to providing greater access to professional mental health support for farming families? How do we adequately train our professionals?

• How can extension and education structures and processes support the wellbeing of people such as migrant workers, different genders, indigenous peoples, those with mental/physical challenges etc.

• Rural communities still suffer disproportionate levels of workplace injury what new initiatives, models and processes are working well?

• How can agricultural education and extension training curricula and processes address wellbeing issues better?