Producer Mental Wellbeing Initiative

Description

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is committed to help more farmers gain access to the mental health support they need, with resources and tools that are tailored to their needs. Key stressors for producers include climate change, isolation, stigma, and the physical and emotional demands of farming. Farmers also face significant mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, and stress from financial uncertainty, weather unpredictability, and the unique pressures of managing farm operations. The stress in farming populations has also been linked to an increase in the rate of farm work injuries and an increased risk of suicide. This can lead to negative impacts on the ability of producers to work effectively, which could impact farm productivity.

1. About the Initiative

Mental health challenges are an increasing concern within the agriculture industry. The high prevalence of mental health challenges faced by agricultural producers can include elevated feelings of stress, depression, anxiety, and burnout. These feelings can also be exacerbated when dealing with other stressors such as climate change, long working hours, financial instability, and lack of resources.

Improving mental wellbeing and support for producers is essential to improve both their quality of life and for ensuring the long-term viability of Canadian agriculture.

1.1 Initiative Objectives and Principles

The objectives of the Initiative are to:

• create a variety of support systems;
• promote peer-led initiatives;
• provide tailored mental health resources;
• address stressors that impact mental health; and
• reduce stigma.

Solutions must focus on prevention and early intervention, and adhere to at least one of the principles below:

• Raising Awareness and Communication: Develop innovative campaigns that promote awareness or educational programs about mental health through tools that focus on prevention and the identification of mental health challenges early, and which promote coping mechanisms.
• Reduce Stigma: Develop solutions that normalize conversations about mental health, reduce stigma, and encourage farmers to seek help.
• Improve Access to Tailored Mental Health Support: Create solutions that provide personalized mental health support to farmers and/or their families, addressing barriers including access, location, and timing.
• Community Resilience and Mental Health Promotion: Develop solutions that focus on creating and maintaining supportive farming community environments, and addressing social determinants of mental health, especially for those facing systemic challenges (i.e. racism, socioeconomic barriers, isolation).
• Provide Long-Term Support: Design and deliver mental health solutions that integrate wellness, farming practices, and other aspects of farm management (i.e. succession planning, family support), to enable better support for producers from generation to generation.

For more details on definitions used throughout this Guide, please refer to Annex A.

1.2 Initiative Statement

AAFC is seeking collaborative solutions that employ novel strategies to promote mental wellbeing and/or address stressors contributing to mental health challenges among producers in Canada.

The Initiative is designed and delivered by AAFC in partnership with the Privy Council Office’s Impact Canada.

2. Applying to the Initiative

2.1 Eligible applicants

Eligible applicants for this Initiative include:

• Businesses or other for-profit organizations incorporated in Canada;
• Not-for-profit organizations registered in Canada;
• Producers, producer organizations and associations within Canada;
• Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, Inuit) individuals, organizations or groups of individuals located in Canada;
• Post-secondary/academic institutions located in Canada; and,
• Collaborations between one or more of the above categories of applicants.

Note: Eligible applicants must be legal entities capable of entering into legally binding agreements.

2.2 Eligible solutions

In order to be considered for selection, solutions must be aimed at leveraging innovation to achieve specific outcomes to promote mental wellbeing and/or address stressors contributing to mental health challenges among producers in Canada as described in the above-mentioned Initiative Statement.

Potential innovation areas include, but are not limited to the following:

• Digital Solutions for Mental Health Support: Solutions could include apps, platforms, or virtual tools that provide accessible, ongoing mental health supports.
• On-Farm Support and Peer Networks: Solutions could include programs that facilitate mental health supports in farm communities.
• Culturally Relevant Training and Resources: Solutions could include culturally tailored mental health resources for equity deserving groups.
• Family and Succession Planning Programs: Solutions could include programs that support family and succession planning with an integrated mental health component.
• Education and Awareness Campaigns: Solutions could include initiatives that educate farmers on mental health risks and resources, focusing on prevention and reducing the stigma.

3. Initiative Structure

3.1 Stages

The Initiative follows a stage-gated approach to support a cohort of innovators. At each stage, different financial and non-financial incentives will be available to successful participants. At every stage, solutions will be reviewed against the assessment criteria, and selected winners will be invited to move to the following stage.

Stage 1 - Concept Design: In this stage, you are required to complete an online application describing how your solution aims to promote mental wellbeing and/or address stressors contributing to mental health challenges among producers in Canada. You will need to describe how your solution aligns with the Initiative objectives, why you chose a particular group/community of producers and the mental wellbeing outcomes it aims to achieve. A cohort of up to 20 semi-finalists will be selected to receive up to $50,000 each and move on to Stage 2 of the Initiative.

Note: This guide will help you complete an application at Stage 1. Once selected, successful participants from Stage 1 will receive further instructions for Stage 2. The following information is provided to give you an idea of what would be required of you for Stages 2 and 3 of the Initiative.

Stage 2 - Proof of Concept: In this stage, you are required to develop a proof of concept for promoting mental wellbeing and/or addressing factors contributing to mental health challenges relevant to your selected group/community of producers and by creating a fully implementable plan. You will need to engage with producers and develop partnerships that will be used to expand the resources required to respond to their wellbeing. You will also need to develop a plan to measure and evaluate how effective your solution is in achieving outcomes for the selected group/community of producers that are related to the Initiative Principles. A cohort of up to 10 finalists will be selected to receive up to $100,000 each and move on to Stage 3 of the Initiative.

Stage 3 - Implementation: In this stage, you are required to evaluate your solution based on impact, user feedback and the potential for wider application. You will need to generate evidence that your solution promotes mental wellbeing and/or address stressors contributing to mental health challenges among your group/community of producers. At the end of this stage, finalists are expected to show how their solution can also be adapted to other groups or communities of producers within Canada. Two winners will be selected to receive $500,000 each.

 

3.2 Prize Amounts

Up to $3 million in total will be awarded to semi-finalists, finalists and winners of the Initiative alongside a host of non-financial supports such as advice, training and networking opportunities.