Managing social pressures and personal distress on family farms

The main aim of this bilateral collaboration pertains to common reflection about the efficacy of cultural specific responses to the apparently universal farming stress phenomenon. Farmers in the USA and Slovenia are exposed to farming concerns and fears shaped by similar megatrends in global agriculture. However, (systemic) contexts of their responses to such concerns and ascribed meanings to farming stress are cultural specific. In the USA (Iowa), on the one hand, there is a long tradition of agricultural medicine and several programmes supporting and counselling distressed people who farm, as provided by Iowa’s Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (I-CASH). In Slovenia, on the other hand, there is an efficient public health system, yet agricultural medicine or suitable assistance for farmers’ wellbeing are missing. Actually, such an endeavour is in its early stages in Slovenia.

It is expected that bilateral visits will contribute to common reflection upon advantages and traps of a transfer of ‘good practice’ – following I-CASH’s example on managing farming distress. Therefore, it is planned that:

• During a short visit (up to 14 days) in Slovenia, the American PI will inform academics and stakeholders in agriculture and health about the usefulness of I-CASH programmes for coping with farming distress. At the same time, the PI will be informed about agricultural change in post-1991 Slovenia and current research projects about farming distress and coping strategies as experienced by Slovenian farmers.

• During a long visit (up to 90 days) in the USA (I-CASH), the Slovenian PI will be informed by the reports and other sources of I-CASH programmes. Such an exchange would contribute substantially to current incentives of introducing the programmes in the field of farmers’ wellbeing within the Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry of Slovenia.