Ottawa – Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, has announced an investment of up to $1.08 million for the Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing (CCAW) through the AgriCompetitiveness Program, an initiative under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
This project funds five activities aimed at supporting the mental health of Canadian farmers. This includes supports for mental health literacy education for agriculture educators across the country, the development of a mental health toolkit to support the sector in case of catastrophic events, and aims to help industry further develop capacity throughout the sector and facilitate the sharing and expansion of national farm mental health strategies and resources.
The CCAW will also develop Canada’s first evidence-based agriculture literacy training program in collaboration with the Rural Physicians Society of Canada in order to deliver the training to rural physicians who interact with Canadian farmers and organize two national conferences that will enable mental health information sharing with stakeholders from across the sector.
“I know firsthand the challenges that come with life on the farm. You work around the clock, 365 days a year, facing unique demands and significant pressure. With everything else our producers have to manage, it can be hard to check in on yourself and prioritize your mental health. This new funding for the Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing will help more farmers gain access to the mental health support they need, with services and tools that are tailored to them.” – Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food