Farming resilience: civil society's role in supporting vulnerable rural communities through and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic
8 March 2021 - 7 March 2022
PI/s in Exeter: Professor Matt Lobley
CI/s in Exeter: Dr Caroline Nye
Research partners: University of Reading (lead) and University of Sheffield
Funding awarded: (total funding of £ 190,000)
Sponsor(s): ESRC UKRI Covid Rapid Response
Project webpage(s)
About the research
This project looks at the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on
farmers' mental health and resilience. Working with farmers and organisations
involved in supporting them, the aim is to understand how the spread of the
coronavirus has affected agricultural workers and their resilience to mental
ill health. It will look at the experiences of farmers and the challenges that
farming help charities have faced in providing support.
Farmers and rural communities have been benefiting from the
support of charities and civic society organisations during the pandemic. This
research will be working with organisations to understand the extent of that
support and what barriers they are facing to meeting farmers’ needs.
Led by the University of Reading, the project team also
includes researchers from the University of Exeter and the University of
Sheffield. It is funded by the ESRC as part of UKRI's rapid response to
Covid-19.
