Continuity, change and new ways of being: An exploratory assessment of farmer's experiences and responses to public health restrictions during the COVID‐19 pandemic in a rural Irish community

O'Reilly, Alexis; Meredith, David; Foley, Ronan; McCarthy, Jack

doi:10.1111/soru.12424

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 53 publications

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“…The effects on agriculture were multifaceted, encompassing supply chain interruptions, labor shortages, market closures, and fluctuating demand patterns. The constraints faced by farmers in the wake of COVID-19 extended beyond the tangible challenges of planting and harvesting [6]. Farmers encountered obstacles in receiving crucial agricultural extension services, which are vital for staying abreast of best practices, technological advancements, and sustainable farming methods.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the Multi-Dimensional Challenges Faced by Bikaner Farmers during the COVID-19 Pandemic through Sentimental Analysis

Aravindh Kumar S.,

Verma,

Kumari

2023

AJAEES

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Aims: This study aims to unravel the intricate challenges farmers confront in the aftermath of COVID-19, delving into the effects on agricultural extension services and the marketing of agricultural products. Study Design: Ex-Post facto research design. Place and Duration of Study: The study was done by collecting data from farmers in Bikaner, Rajasthan, India, between July 2022 and August 2022. Methodology: The study gathered 586 responses through open-ended survey questions from 250 farmers, and a meticulous data-cleaning process reduced the constraints to 316. Sentiment analysis using Azure Machine Learning identified 136 highly negative statements, further refined through factor analysis into nine groups comprising 123 constraints. This rigorous methodology enhances precision, providing a nuanced understanding of farmers' challenges in agricultural extension services and product vending during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sentiment analysis score reflects the severity of constraints faced by farmers. Results: The livestock and their management dimension scored the lowest (0.212), reflecting significant obstacles such as cattle deaths and declining milk prices. Following closely, disruptions in agricultural services (0.218) underscored difficulties in accessing crucial services and a decline in input quality. Labor and workforce challenges (0.226) included shortages and healthcare difficulties while marketing and transporting constraints (0.231) highlighted problems like increased post-harvest losses and market closures. Financial challenges (0.233) involved limited access to relief funds and cooperative closures. Conclusion: Through systematic constraint identification, sentiment analysis, and factor analysis, this study unveils nuanced insights into farmers' challenges during the pandemic, enriching our understanding of agricultural resilience. The refined constraints underscore the severity and diverse nature of obstacles farmers face in COVID-19.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the Multi-Dimensional Challenges Faced by Bikaner Farmers during the COVID-19 Pandemic through Sentimental Analysis

Aravindh Kumar S.,

Verma,

Kumari

2023

AJAEES

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“People that are Supporting [the] Whole Sector are on their Knees”; Uncertainty and Socioeconomic Change are Occupational Stressors for Irish Farmers^☆

Firnhaber,

Malone,

O'Hagan

et al. 2024

Rural Sociology

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Farming is a stressful occupation with many farmers facing daily uncertainty and high mental health risks. In addition to unpredictable occupations, rapidly changing European and Irish agricultural policies may put farmers in a liminal state. We aimed to identify sources of occupational stress or well‐being for Irish farmers, particularly regarding change in their lives and communities. We collected data online through semistructured interviews with 17 farmers and 1 interview and 3 focus groups with 11 farming stakeholders. We identified four central narratives (N1‐4) through narrative analysis. In N1, participants described how rapid changes could create stress by exacerbating uncertainty and threatening farmers' financial security. Participants described how these changes to standards for “good farming” (N2) and rural culture (N3) result in lost income, identity, and well‐being. In N4, participants identified ways in which work of farming can be therapeutic. Our findings add to literature on the impacts of uncertainty and liminality on farmers by identifying how deeply changes in agricultural models can impact farmers' identities and well‐being as they grapple with new and old occupational pressures. We suggest that economic policy and agricultural governance prioritize farmers' financial security and mental health through policy change and acknowledge their valuable contributions.

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Farming wellbeing through and beyond COVID‐19: Stressors, gender differences and landscapes of support

et al. 2023

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Although there has been a recent surge in research on drivers of poor farmer wellbeing and mental health, there is still a limited understanding of the state of wellbeing in farming communities around the world and how it can be best supported. This special issue seeks to extend our knowledge of how a combination of different stressors can challenge the wellbeing of farmers, farming families and farm workers, as well as how negative impacts can be unevenly distributed between different individuals. We advance the state of the art in research on farmer wellbeing, illustrating how social, economic and environmental policy drivers combine to create multiple points of stress, which are experienced differently by different individuals (e.g., age, gender). We move beyond an exploration of stressors towards a consideration of how landscapes of support for farmer wellbeing, and packages of support interventions, can improve the social resilience of farming communities. To be effective, these landscapes of support need to be accessible, well‐funded, joined‐up, and adaptable to evolving crises. This special issue explores farmer wellbeing in the context of global agricultural transitions, which are demanding new ways of farming (e.g., digitalisation, net zero, economic restructuring), and in light of shock events, such as the COVID‐19 pandemic, in four countries—Ireland, New Zealand, the UK and the US. In exploring the impacts of future shock events and agricultural transitions on wellbeing, the issue concludes with a call to move beyond broad compilations of stressors and interventions and towards nuanced investigations of why and how poor farmer wellbeing occurs and how it can be best supported in specific contexts. The research from these four countries has wide relevance across European countries (similarity in farming systems, noting some differences), but a key message from the issue is that stressors on farmer wellbeing can be highly context‐dependent according to place‐based social, environmental, economic and political issues.

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Continuity, change and new ways of being: An exploratory assessment of farmer's experiences and responses to public health restrictions during the COVID‐19 pandemic in a rural Irish community

Cited by 4 publications

References 53 publications

Assessing the Multi-Dimensional Challenges Faced by Bikaner Farmers during the COVID-19 Pandemic through Sentimental Analysis

Assessing the Multi-Dimensional Challenges Faced by Bikaner Farmers during the COVID-19 Pandemic through Sentimental Analysis

“People that are Supporting [the] Whole Sector are on their Knees”; Uncertainty and Socioeconomic Change are Occupational Stressors for Irish Farmers^☆

Farming wellbeing through and beyond COVID‐19: Stressors, gender differences and landscapes of support

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Continuity, change and new ways of being: An exploratory assessment of farmer's experiences and responses to public health restrictions during the COVID‐19 pandemic in a rural Irish community

Cited by 4 publications

References 53 publications

Assessing the Multi-Dimensional Challenges Faced by Bikaner Farmers during the COVID-19 Pandemic through Sentimental Analysis

Assessing the Multi-Dimensional Challenges Faced by Bikaner Farmers during the COVID-19 Pandemic through Sentimental Analysis

“People that are Supporting [the] Whole Sector are on their Knees”; Uncertainty and Socioeconomic Change are Occupational Stressors for Irish Farmers☆

Farming wellbeing through and beyond COVID‐19: Stressors, gender differences and landscapes of support

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

“People that are Supporting [the] Whole Sector are on their Knees”; Uncertainty and Socioeconomic Change are Occupational Stressors for Irish Farmers^☆