The High Suicide Rate of Farmers in the US
I knew there were farmer suicides in India over GMO screwbaggery. So many farmers got ruined of their livelihood and saw no option but to end their lives than face the debt or legal fees, on top of their lost farming incomes. But I didn't know that the United States has had, and still has, a high suicide rate for their farmers.
The first farm crisis of the 20th century took place in the 1920s and 1930s between the two world wars and was a part of the Great Depression hardships. Prices after the first world war rose sometimes over 100%, making crops more expensive to produce in 1920 than any previous year. In the 1980s there was another farm crisis, when record farm production led to a fall in price, and exports fell due to a grain embargo against the Soviet Union. That also increased with a doubling of land and equipment debt between 1978 and 1984, along with a big fall and land prices leading to record foreclosures. And the Farm Credit System had its first losses since the Great Depression, meaning supplemental support to farmers was lacking.
Source
In the 1980s, more than 1000 farmers committed suicide because of financial issues where they ended up losing their farms to foreclosure. A recent study examined the years between 1992 up until 2010, which came out to 230 farmer suicides. The annual suicide rate varied between 0.36 to 0.96 per 100,000 farmers. Considering the average suicide weight of all other occupations being 0.19 per 100,000 during that same time period, the farmer suicide rate is extremely high.
Economic factors may have improved since the 1980s, but their occupational factors have much in common, such as poor access to quality health care, isolation and continued financial stress commingle in their daily lives to place a lot of stress on them with a high risk of suicide. Even if there is quality health care, it might cost too much and be located too far for them to have the time to deal with their health issues.
Farmers can also be isolated from other people creating a smaller social network and more loneliness. There is also a farm culture which pressures them to live up to a rugged strong psychological model where they should just suck it up and go about their work, regardless of any physical pain or psychological issues. The use of chemicals such as insecticides has been known to cause depression. And when a farm has difficulties, it can be taken very personally as a sign of failure because farmers highly associate their jobs with their own identity compared to people in other jobs.
"They can't take care of their family; they feel like they have fewer and fewer options and can't dig themselves out. Eventually, suicide becomes an option," said Corinne Peek-Asa from the study.
Across the United States, the West has the highest level of suicide with 43% of the total suicides between 1992 and 2010. The Midwest accounted for 37%, the South for 13% and the Northeastern United States with 6% of the total.
Resolving these issues might be difficult because it involves much development in these rural areas to facilitate the increase in social networking between people when they are so far apart. Improving the economies would help to improve the amount of people that are there and thereby increase the potential to develop social networks. As an area develops, this increases the services provided to meet the needs of people in that area, such that improved health care and mental health services can come about as well.
I come from a small town, with farms all around as well. There are health services and many thousands of people in the area, but I imagine when the town was hardly even a town and there was barely anyone there, that the farmers and other people starting up a new community and place to live had a lot of hardships to overcome as well. I just imagine people moving out to some nowhere land to start something new. Why did they choose this place and not another?
I also think of how such a smaller town could eventually develop into a bigger economy. For example, new businesses would need to get started up that are more technologically oriented, such as introducing the programming industry or the IT support industry into such a town to make it start to grow again. Then people can live in rural areas while working a modern city-type of job and not have to commute.
These are just ideas for how to a make smaller town keep growing. I see them stagnating because they aren't moving forward in modern economic opportunities for their local populations. Have you seen rural areas get infused with technological jobs that boost that town and make it grow more, infusing it with more opportunities for people to stay or come?
References:
- Long after 1980s farm crisis, farmers still take own lives at a high rate
- Wendy Ringgenberg et al, Trends and Characteristics of Occupational Suicide and Homicide in Farmers and Agriculture Workers, 1992-2010, The Journal of Rural Health (2017). DOI: 10.1111/jrh.12245
:( my heart goes out for farmers in the US. I am very sensitive by this issue as Thailand is also in situations where farmers were treated unfairly through political mismanagement. A couple of years ago we had many farmer took their own lives as they were left with nothing and got cheated by the people they thought was protecting them (The Gorvernment). In Thailand we call farmers "The backbone of our Country" .... yet, there are too much space between the rich and poor. Sadly farmers are poor here and are not treated well.We used to be #1 at Rice exporters to the globe. A lot has changed since and I think that farmers aren't treated fairly here. I pray things will changed for the better soon...
Thank you for your post. 🙏🏻 🌿
That's great that the people recognize the role of farmers in sustaining their lives. They are indeed The backbone of our Country. Praying doesn't help, but acting, organizing, group and unite for whats right is what creates change for the better :) Thanks for the feedback.
If there was such to participate I would definitely join!!. It's just the our little country here. Everyone's voice is not heard the same. And freedom of speech is restricted to what the powerful people are comfortable with.
Hehe, on Steemit the rich can take your rewards if they don't like you or what you say, so you might find some familiarity here at times lol
Although my family's heritage is farming, I grew up in corporate world with hardworking parents who became a CPA and teacher. It hasn't been until the last few years where my fiance' has reintroduced me to the gardening/farming world that I have come to hold these truths so close.
There's an incredible sense of pride in being able to use the land and its resources to provide for families, including your own. It is unfortunately a dwindling skill set that is imparitive to the well being of us ALL. We have lost the value of farming.
I can completely understand the suicide epidemic and appreciate you bringing it to light! Praying for our farmers and hoping for solutions.
Indeed, I used to garden when I lived in the country. Good tasting veggies, yum :D Thanks for the feedback.
Growing up in southern Wisconsin , ive been around farming my whole life, and have worked at more than a few. Farming and farmers are being abused by seed producers, salesmen, and the government is nothing new. However one of the newest downfalls has been loss of family values and family integrity. The modern cut throat society that our youth has adapted to goes against everything that keeps farms running. Kids are inheriting farms and trying to run them like an online store. Farms run on strong relationships with freinds and local community. You cant just get a computerized operation, fire everyone, and expect your community to support your buisness. When people have put in 100 years of hard work and built trust in the people around them, the last thing they want is some kid noone knows with a severe attitude problem taking over and ruining families livelihoods. Its not going to get any easier until people quit trying to squeeze every drop of cash out things and then sell off the rest and move.
Indeed, I greed and desire for money above other considerations will corrupt those other considerations. Thanks for the feedback.
Well written, informative article. Didn't know the rate was so high, but can imagine how it might be, as they probably see the work of their hands as who they are. So many of us think about having little, or even big, farms (in our heads), while not having any real idea the pressures of farming. I'll add, as someone who appreciates organic food, enough of us need to rebel over this GMO and overuse of pesticides problem. They are both danger to our health and the health of our children and grandchildren.
Yeah, I don't trust GMO under our current greed and money mindset that these corps run from. Roundup is bad, and many other chemicals, yet we continue to poison our land, air and water... Thanks for the feedback.
A sad and little known fact about these deaths, farmers really were and still are important people in society, they have driven our lives and we have not really shown an interest in them. So sad that they are pushed to end their lives whilst we carry on regardless.
Yes it is. They have the real power to sustain us. They feed everyone. I mentioned that in another comment and in previous posts about the importance of food. Thanks for the feedback.
its sad to see how society reward them to feed us vs. ie football players
I knew this was an issue but I had no idea of the magnitude. So sad.
Yeah, me either, indeed it is.
What a great read, yet such a loss to society. Just when it seems like everyone is jumping on the band wagon of self sufficiency and home or backyard gardening, who is left to teach the ways of the old that were probably handed down to these farmers from generation to generation. It is truly sad. Thanks for sharing
Agriculture is not a profitable business now weather also plays important role. Government has to take steps to save farmers.
It would be better if we have a proper appreciation of food and those who produce it, or had food growing everywhere, rather than useless lawns and "pretty" looking ornamental setups. We can live a new way of life, but that would require a lot of people changing how they think and what drives them (letting go of the desire for money is one of them).
The elite or gloalist attitude: Good, let them take care of themselves so we dont have to. Much like I figure they view the current suicide rates with the military. Great post!
Reducing population anyway possible... heh. Thanks for the feedback.
Our farm system is soooooo screwed up. Mono-crops are killing the soil, and our addiction to corn in this country is limiting what farmers want/can grow.
This is why we should all try and buy our fruits and veggies as local as possible. If you live in Minnesota, perhaps you shouldn't be buying oranges . . .
Yeah mono crops just sap the nutrients up and don't put much of anything back. I am all for urban food forests a la permaculture guild style, growing all over the place, on every sidewalk, everywhere! Imagine a world where you can just go outside and most of the food grows itself? I am still for importing. Otherwise, the real issue is maybe we shouldn't be living in cold climates to necessitate the import of nutritious food in the winter... not too bright for us to live in cold areas.
Yeah but storing things works wonders in cold, dry places, so it's a trade off that entices that.