An additional illustration of the uneasiness of the farmers. In the department of Saône-et-Loire, one farmer in three is at risk of burnout. It is the sad conclusion of an inquiry published by the chamber of agriculture of Saône-et-Loire, conducted by the observatory Amarok, dedicated to the health of non-salaried workers to 406 farmers for three years. In this department, which counts 4000 farms, mostly family-owned, “34% of the farmers surveyed are at risk of burnout, more or less acute”. Many farmers consider themselves to be “tired”, say “I’m bored” or feel “powerless” vis-à-vis their work situation. The risk of burn-out is particularly “high,” says Olivier Torres, professor at the University of Montpellier and founder of the observatoire Amarok.
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The loneliness weighs heavily on the farmers. In France, more than a quarter of the farmers are single, compared with 12% in average in the population. In this profession, burn-out are more numerous than the national average, as are the suicides: one every two days, according to the public health agency of france. According to this survey carried out at the departmental scale, those who are working alone have a risk of depletion, higher and show a higher fragility than those who work with partners or with a spouse employee. This is especially those who work in the beef industry that present a high risk of burnout. The department of Saône-et-Loire comprises a total of 46% of farmers operating in the cattle sector, 15% in wine-growing and 10% in major crops.
“This is a constructive exchange and trust”
To support these farmers, the chamber of agriculture tests since last summer, the device of mentoring between farmers and business leaders. “The objective is to support the farmers often work alone, which arise from questions concerning the development of their operating for example, to exchange with other business leaders, other sectors,” explains David Barthe, director general of the chamber of agriculture of Saône-et-Loire.
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This device seems to be appreciated by the farmers “mentees”. “It is a constructive exchange and trust, which allows me to take a step back from my daily life,” said Sandrine Miller, a farmer since 18 years old, in the head with her spouse of a farm of 220 hectares and 130 suckler cows. “As a farmer, we do not consider too, such as heads of business, so that it is strategic. This relationship brings me a lot about the human aspect of the management of the farm” she says. To date, five pairs are in place, with farmers, cattle, dairy, or wine, aged 35 to 55 years old, and the patrons who work in the CONSTRUCTION industry, the digital or the services. These duos have the requirement to meet “at least once per month for eighteen months,” says David Barthe, who welcomes the craze of this device is that the chamber of agriculture wants to develop in the coming months.
