Farming, community & the future of rural life

This talks explores what is social prescribing and how it can help tackle the impact of loneliness on health

Career attractiveness is shaped by many factors, usually things like the wages, work-life balance or the location of the job. However, farming is unique as it is often seen as a way of life one is born to do, deeply rooted in family tradition with significant ties to the farming household and the place one comes from. Ageing demographic trends and reduced attraction to the sector jeopardise the security of farms. We will explore the role that developmental experiences during one’s childhood play in farmer and successor identity creation and its impact on attracting people into the sector.

Agriculture remains one of the most hazardous occupations in the European Union despite decades of prevention efforts. Identifying farmers own safety priorities and preferences for health and safety education is necessary. We surveyed 1,078 farmers, farmworkers, family members, and agricultural students across 11 European countries to identify four profiles of their specific learning priorities. The largest group (40%) get health and safety information from their families and communities, while the smallest group (18%) prefer learning from formal organisations.

Over 100 million people in Europe live with osteoarthritis, a condition that causes joint pain, limits movement, and can lead to social isolation. While exercise is effective, many people find it hard to maintain. This talk introduces social prescribing - linking healthcare with local community activities - as a new way to support osteoarthritis care, and presents findings from the SPECs‑OA project. It also highlights what current evidence tells us about its value for chronic conditions and outlines next steps to understand how social prescribing can be integrated into osteoarthritis care.