The Challenge of Organised Agricultural Criminality: Psychological and Wider Societal Impact

Abstract

Globally, farmers are increasingly threatened by Organised Criminal Networks, leading to a rise in agricultural crime. This shift from traditional opportunistic offences to more organised crime is severely impacting the psychological wellbeing of farmers. It’s also causing broader societal issues, including farmers exiting the sector, diminished trust in law enforcement, and threats to food chain security.

Farmers encounter various stressors - negative events that affect their wellbeing - and hinder successful business management. Existing research has identified stressors such as weather, finance, regulation, staffing, and time pressures. However, the impact of Organised Agricultural Criminality on farmers’ mental health and its broader implications have not been explored.

This pioneering research investigates whether Agricultural Crime (AC) should be recognised as a stressor for farmers. It compares the impact of AC with other well-documented stressors on farm management in Britain. Additionally, this study examines the wider repercussions of Organised Agricultural Criminality, considering the secondary and tertiary impacts of these events.

While this research was conducted in Britain, its findings have international relevance, given the global reach of these criminal networks. The results indicate that Organised Agricultural Criminality is a significant stressor for farmers, surpassed only by weather, finance, and time pressures. Moreover, the act of criminality has extensive societal consequences, often overlooked by those involved in crime prevention and law enforcement.

The study argues that without serious international law enforcement consideration of Organised Agricultural Crime, the psychological and societal effects of these crimes could jeopardise global food security in unforeseen ways.