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Mental Health and Well-being of Farmers: Launch of the SafeHabitus Policy Brief at the European Parliament
CIHEAM > AGENDAS > Mental Health and Well-being of Farmers: Launch of the SafeHabitus Policy Brief at the European Parliament
  • The Policy Brief presents ten key recommendations to build safer and more sustainable farming livelihoods
  • A high-level policy roundtable brought together MEPs and representatives from major European agricultural organisations to discuss implementing these recommendations and making mental well-being a core pillar of agricultural sustainability

On 20 November 2025, the European Parliament in Brussels served as the high-profile venue for the official launch of the SafeHabitus Policy Brief on Mental Health in Farming, underlining the urgency of addressing psychosocial well-being within Europe's agricultural sector. This high-level event, hosted by MEP Maria Walsh and co-hosted by MEP Eric Sargiacomo, brought together policymakers, researchers, and representatives of the European agricultural sector to address the urgent need for comprehensive mental health support for farmers and farm workers across the European Union.

Key recommendations for action

The new Policy Brief highlights the profound challenges facing the agricultural community. Alun Jones, Head of Projects at CIHEAM Zaragoza and the SafeHabitus Policy Lead, presented the Policy Brief's ten key recommendations which aim to build safer, healthier, and more sustainable farming livelihoods through integrated actions at EU and Member State levels. These recommendations cover areas such as support services, the simplification of administrative requirements, capacity-building for advisory services, fair income supports, climate resilience, and research to address critical evidence gaps. The policy brief also highlights the need for targeted interventions, especially for women and young farmers, and underlines that addressing mental health in agriculture is vital for the sector’s long-term sustainability.

Policy roundtable: From dialogue to implementation

Following the presentation, MEP Maria Walsh chaired a high-impact policy discussion round table that saw engagement from European stakeholders. The panel featured project leader David Meredith (Teagasc), along with representatives from key institutions: Sergi Queralt (Senior Policy Advisor for GEOPA), Marion Picot (Secretary General of CEJA - the European Council of Young Farmers), Enrico Somaglia (General Secretary of the European Federation of Trade Unions in the Food, Agriculture, and Tourism, EFFAT), and Els Verté (Director of Farmers at a Crossroads, Flanders, Belgium). The debate centred on operationalising the recommendations to integrate mental well-being as a fundamental pillar of European agricultural sustainability, moving the dialogue from problem identification to action-oriented policy implementation.

The launch of the SafeHabitus Policy Brief marks a significant advance in European efforts to support those who ensure the sustainability of our food systems, emphasising the central role of farmer and farm worker well-being in resilient European agriculture.

About the SafeHabitus project

SafeHabitus is a four-year project coordinated by TEAGASC Ireland, funded by the European Union as part of the Horizon Europe Programme, grant agreement number 101084270. This multi-actor project aims to strengthen Farm Health and Safety Knowledge Innovation Systems (FHS KIS) and support the EU transition to social sustainability in farming.