Feeling valued and involved in decision-making associated with higher mental wellbeing and lower loneliness for women in farming, research finds

Women in farming who feel valued and supported and are involved in decision-making on the farm report higher mental wellbeing and lower levels of loneliness, according to groundbreaking new research.

The new report published by the University of Exeter’s Centre for Rural Policy Research (CRPR) and The Farming Community Network (FCN) follows a survey conducted in Summer 2025 which saw more than 2,000 (2,058) responses from women involved in farming in England and Wales.

Respondents ranged in age from 18 to 95 years old and lived or worked on a variety of types and sizes of farm. Many women reported having multiple roles on the farm, but 29% said the role they identified with most was being a farmer – either full-time (19%) or part-time (10%) – and 28% said being a spouse or partner of a farmer.

In every age group, women in farming reported lower average mental wellbeing scores than the national population. 36% of all respondents had scores indicative of low wellbeing while only 4% had scores indicative of high wellbeing.

Women in farming also reported significantly higher levels of perceived stress, worse anxiety, and poorer sleep quality than the general population. Respondents commonly reported a number of farm-related factors to be causes of stress.

‘Isolation and loneliness’, ‘work-life balance/workload’, and ‘relations with others’ were found to be particularly significant stressors associated with poorer wellbeing.

However, those who felt valued and supported, had decision-making abilities, who were satisfied with their social connections and who were more satisfied with their balance between farm and non-farm work, reported higher mental wellbeing, lower levels of loneliness and lower perceived stress.

The majority (61%) of respondents had decision-making responsibility on the farm, either alone or with someone else. Many (39%) of the remaining respondents – who were excluded from decision-making – were dissatisfied and wanted more responsibility.

The researchers found that having little or no say in decision-making on the farm is associated with higher levels of loneliness.

Positive aspects of farming included being outdoors (83%), connection to nature (74%), working with animals (69%) and providing a positive place to raise children (68%).

The Health and Wellbeing of Women in Farming research project is jointly led by FCN and the CRPR at the University of Exeter, which aims to understand and improve the health and happiness of women in farming, including those who live on farms but may or may not be directly involved in agricultural work. The research is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

Dr Rebecca Wheeler, Project Lead and Senior Research Fellow at the CRPR, said: “This research is the first of its kind to focus specifically on the experiences of women in farming and many women told us they appreciated the opportunity to have their voices heard. The survey has provided valuable evidence about health and wellbeing among this under-researched population, including new insights into how loneliness, wellbeing and various aspects of farming life are interconnected for women involved in agriculture. We will be exploring these findings in more depth during the next stages of the research and are grateful to all the women who are taking part. Their contributions will help shape recommendations for future support that is tailored and targeted to their needs.”

Linda Jones, National Manager (Wales) at The Farming Community Network, said: “The initial findings from this survey provide significant insights into both the positive and negative aspects of farming and how they impact on the health and wellbeing of women. It is cause for concern that many women in farming experience poor sleep quality, often feel lonely, and suffer with high levels of stress and anxiety compared to the general population.

“We can see through these survey findings a link for many women in farming between decision-making responsibilities and reduced loneliness. Many of those who are excluded from decision-making on the farm reported they would like more of a say. Feeling valued for their contributions on the farm showed the strongest association with better mental wellbeing and with lower levels of loneliness.

“Through our recent FarmWell community events, FCN has been working hard to bring farming communities across England and Wales together, helping to address issues of loneliness and isolation in our farming community.”

Subsequent phases of the research (2025-2027) will add depth to these findings and will aid in the development of a range of recommendations and interventions for improving the support available to women in farming.

Over the next few months, the research team will be conducting one-to-one interviews with women in farming, and they are currently seeking additional participants from Wales. Women in Wales are encouraged to consider being interviewed as it is important that their particular experiences and needs are reflected in the research findings, and in the tailoring of future support appropriate to the Welsh context.

Interviews can be conducted in Welsh or English and participants’ anonymity is ensured. To register your interest to take part, simply email the research team at farmsurvey@exeter.ac.uk.

A copy of the report is available at https://sites.exeter.ac.uk/womeninfarming/publications/

More information about the research can be found at: https://sites.exeter.ac.uk/womeninfarming/.