The impact of agricultural insurance on farmers’ mental health: what we can learn from the literature

Abstract

This systematic review aimed to examine evidence in the extant literature on the nexus between agricultural insurance and the mental health of farmers. The key hypothesis was that increasing access to agricultural insurance will enhance the mental and emotional well-being of farmers globally and will consequently preserve the future of agriculture, particularly as climate change exacerbates weather risk. A systematic review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement. We searched several databases, including EBSCOHost Megafile, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed (Medline) and Google Scholar, based on predetermined criteria in July 2024. We conducted a full-text review of twelve potential articles. None of the articles met the inclusion criteria and reported a clear understanding of the relationship between access to agricultural insurance and the mental health nexus. We concluded that there is no evidence to support the hypothesis that access to agricultural insurance has a positive impact on farmer’s mental health. Our hypothesis is premised on the fact that while agricultural insurance smoothens farmers’ income, this should lead to some forms of mental health advantage, but we do not have any evidence in extant literature. The lack of literature is perhaps due to the complexity of the agricultural insurance product design. We recommend studies that will provide reliably conclusive evidence on this critical issue because agriculture requires risk management tools to help farmers cope with multidimensional risks, including exacerbated weather events due to climate change.