The desperation of farmers and in many countries remains a taboo subject in their midst.
However, every day, at least one farmer commits suicide . The area has a suicide rate 30% higher than the national average.
The factors contributing to this distress are numerous.
One of the most important, according to a specialist doctor, is the lack of social support in which farmers find themselves, unlike employees in other sectors.
If we add the increase in charges which induces a drastic reduction in profits (many farmers sell at a loss and earn less than the minimum wage for a much higher workload), frequent over-indebtedness, pressure from mass distribution which pushes them to sell at a loss (a very obvious phenomenon among dairy producers), as well as the exhausting workload and the lack of vacations (on the video below, the farmer testifies that he only took 6 days holidays in 30 years), we have here an explosive cocktail.
Moreover, the subject remains largely taboo in rural areas. According to the report below, only 10% of farmers report their distress.
It is therefore obvious that this is a sector to be reinvented, in which it will be necessary to show boldness and creativity.
In one of the videos below (Planteur d’idées), a struggling farmer explains that it is absolutely necessary to get out of the straitjacket of agriculture and design projects. He cites the example of eco-district projects, or even the development of a reception center for people suffering from Alzheimer’s.
This is indeed one of the possible paths, arising from the application of the principle of Ruth’s heart. The first step for a farmer in distress is to take stock of the assets he has and on which he can rely to bounce back.
Another possible avenue is to allow farmers in African countries to benefit from the assets that European farmers have: mastery of highly optimized agricultural techniques as well as equipment, in return for a profit-sharing on the profits thus generated.
Africa indeed has large arable land, which is largely under-exploited.