The Nature of Fear Among Farmers Working with Animal Production

Abstract

In this article, we investigate the nature of fear among farmers working with animal production with particular focus on the impact of harassment and crimes linked to animal rights activism. The study is based on responses from 3815 animal farmers to a national survey in 2020 in Sweden. Cross-table analysis and logistic regression models underlie the methodology of the study. Findings show that three out of ten of those farmers feel afraid of being victimized by the actions of animal rights activists; the proportion is two-thirds among farmers with previous experience of victimization, and fear of victimization varies across Sweden and by type of activity. Perceived lack of support from the police, exacerbated by geographical isolation, are common determinants of farmers’ declared fear, particularly those whose families live on the farms and who have employees. While understanding the factors that affect farmers’ safety perceptions is important, the article ends by calling for further research on the ways by which fear of animal activism impacts farmers’ personal lives, those of their family and employees, and not least their livelihood.

The Force of Social Media : Rethinking the social and spatial contexts in entrepreneurship

“…In Sweden, animal rights groups have increasingly engaged in threats, harassment, and other criminal acts directed at farmers, both in place and on social media (Ceccato et al, 2021). Threats made over the Internet are a recurring problem among Swedish farmers (Ceccato et al, 2021).…”

“…Dürnberger (2019) has reported on the experiences of livestock farmers exposed to hate speech through their use of Facebook, and Coleman et al (2022) have shown how individuals use social media to discuss and spread false information about livestock producers. The case presented in this paper concerns a Swedish farmer, one of many who have been intimidated by animal rights groups in the form of threats, harassment, and other criminal acts both in place and on social media (Ceccato et al, 2021). Threats made over the Internet are a recurring problem among Swedish farmers (Ceccato et al, 2021), but little remains known about how this affects entrepreneurship and the surrounding social context.…”

“…The case presented in this paper concerns a Swedish farmer, one of many who have been intimidated by animal rights groups in the form of threats, harassment, and other criminal acts both in place and on social media (Ceccato et al, 2021). Threats made over the Internet are a recurring problem among Swedish farmers (Ceccato et al, 2021), but little remains known about how this affects entrepreneurship and the surrounding social context.…”

BioSimia, France CNRS network for nonhuman primate biomedical research in infectiology, immunology, and neuroscience

“…Improving this poor score is an attainable challenge. Farmers, who are the target of anti-speciesism activists as much as scientists ( Pistollato et al, 2016 ; Ceccato et al, 2021 ), nevertheless enjoy a good image in the eyes of the public. In 2021, the majority of French people trusted farmers (79%) and believed (72%) them to be concerned by animal welfare ( https://www.ifop.com/publication/les-francais-leurs-agriculteurs-et-leur-alimentation/ accessed on March 16, 2022).…”

Reasons Why Crime and Safety in Rural Areas Matter

“…A homicide (or any serious crime) in a rural area may have a stronger and more long-term impact on residents than it would have had in a metropolitan area. Even if such impacts could be measured with a metric, crime rates alone may be a poor indicator of the problems encountered in rural areas, as some crimes may impact particular groups such as employees and families (Ceccato et al 2021b). The quality of life and health of such groups can be highly affected (see reason 12).…”