Working as a non-academic creative, I enjoy reading and writing about my interest in food policy. I try to be thorough and avoid stepping into the abyss of misinformation. But this time, I stepped into it big time. Recently, I was stung by the misinformation monster: media’s error in reporting a story. My doctoral education taught me to evaluate data with an open mind. Or so I thought.
How did several media sources (New York Times, Mother Jones, NPR, the Guardian) misread the 2016 CDC report on suicide rates? The CDC reported suicide rates by occupational group in 17 states. Suddenly, headlines about the “farmer suicide crisis” appeared. But was is really a “crisis”? And why didn’t I deep dive or look below the surface? Here’s the story correction to my blog Farmer Suicide, STRESS and Mental Health. What happened? What important data did we miss?
Farmworker v. Farmer
I give credit to The New Food Economy story (NFE) for revealing an error in media reporting. The media confused the term farmer with farmworker.
The CDC summary concluded that in 17 states, workers in the farming, fishing, and forestry (Triple F) occupational group had the highest rate of suicide (84.5 per 100,000), compared to construction and extraction workers (53.3).
Where did it go wrong? The confusion was in applying the results in one group (farmers), when the study applied to the occupational group of workers in the Triple F group.
The story was unclear if the CDC made a calculation error or if the media only read the summary, and not the full report.
In case you’re wondering:
- A farmer grows crops, livestock, poultry, fish or orchards.
- A farmworker is hired to work in agricultural production and harvesting and works the farmer.
There is a difference. But it wasn’t hard to figure it out if you read the full report.
Double the Results
When the NFE team tried to repeat the CDC results, they found a problem. The CDC researchers added farmer suicides to the overall Triple F figures. And the result was the 84.5 in 100,000 people.
A more accurate number was about 40, not 84.5. But a University of California researcher on agricultural workers questioned this number. It looked like the CDC ignored the number of seasonal farmworkers.
The fluctuation in seasonal workers might put the number closer to 30 suicides (not 84.5) in 100,000.
Heartstrings
The media stories tugged at my heart – I knew about dairy farmers struggling to survive. Consumer are buying milk alternatives (soy, rice and oats, nuts).
Many small dairy farmers are losing profits and closing down.
I read the heart-felt stories about farmer suicides and prevention services for the agricultural community.
In the US, agricultural behavioral health explores the cultures of farmers, ranchers, migrant and seasonal farm workers.
I was glad to see someone reach out to farmers to stem the “farmer suicide crisis.” That’s the term the media used and politicians abused as they started working on the latest farm bill.
What’s Really Missing Is…
The current farm bill is reviving the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN). Since 2008, FRSAN has been part of the Farm Bill, but it’s never been funded. 
The bipartisan federal bill Stemming the Tide of Rural Economic Stress and Suicide (STRESS) Act offers free mental health resources for distressed farmers.
This federal bill is designed to slow the suicide rate in farming communities. The target population is farmers and ranchers struggling with mental health issues.
What’s really missing or ignored is the mental health and well-being of people who harvest our food: farm workers.
I remember from my OSHA days, that I once inspected a temporary living camp for seasonal workers. OSHA regulations state that “all workers always have a right to a safe and healthy workplace”. But the camp was an appalling place for anyone to live.
Still, I remain hopeful that some politicians will think about those who pick our food and serve the agriculture industry.
Cheers,
Dr. Bessie
They pick strawberries and make their first money in America.
~~~Unknown~~~
Doctor Tales 