As increased fuel, fertiliser and freight costs continue to place mounting pressure on Australian agriculture – alongside repeated natural disasters and growing global instability – a new report has revealed the escalating human toll facing the farmers behind Australia’s food supply.

Findings from the 2026 Norco National Farmer Wellbeing Report, in partnership with the Black Dog Institute, show farmers are experiencing sustained levels of stress, anxiety and emotional exhaustion, with many now questioning their future in the industry.

Norco Chief Executive Officer Michael Hampson said the findings highlight the sheer scale of the pressures facing Australian farmers today, and the broader implications for the future sustainability of the sector.

“Farmers produce around 90% of the food consumed in Australia, yet many are now reconsidering their future in the industry. That has significant implications not only for farming families and regional communities, but for Australia’s long-term food security,” he said.

Concerning mental health landscape

The findings reveal more than half of farmers (54%) reported feeling depressed or down in the past two years, almost a quarter (24%) often or always feeling anxious, and one in three farmers (33%) say their mental health has deteriorated over the past 12 months.

The report also suggests mental health is now emerging as one of the most significant health challenges facing the sector, with farmers almost twice as likely to report poor mental health as poor physical health (19% vs 10%).

One in seven farmers (15%) reported thoughts of self-harm or suicide over the past two years – a rate substantially higher than that seen in the general Australian population.

Notably, the research was conducted before the recent surge in global uncertainty and renewed input cost pressures impacting Australian agriculture, suggesting many farmers are now operating in an even more challenging environment.

Farmer exodus puts industry at risk

As conditions worsen, two in five farmers (41%) say they have considered leaving the industry.

The report also suggests many Australian farmers feel increasingly invisible in the very system they help sustain.

More than nine in ten farmers (91%) believe the role they play is undervalued by the Australian public, while more than one in four (27%) are no longer optimistic about the future of farming in Australia.

Most farmers (79%) come from multi-generational farming families, yet many have no clear succession plans in place, raising questions about who will produce Australia’s food in the generations ahead.

Mr Hampson said the findings should serve as a wake-up call for industry, government and the broader community, reinforcing that farmer wellbeing can no longer be viewed in isolation.

“In an increasingly uncertain global environment, maintaining strong local food production and sovereign capability has never been more important, and farmer wellbeing must now be recognised as a critical food security issue requiring coordinated action,” he said.

“If we lose farmers, we lose far more than individual farms; we risk losing regional communities, local industries and ultimately Australia’s ability to sustain its own food production.”

Path forward

Black Dog Institute Executive Director and Chief Scientist Professor Samuel Harvey said the findings reveal the scale and complexity of the challenges facing Australia’s farming communities.

The report also provides a clear path forward.

“We need to equip regional communities to better support each other and ensure farmers can access timely, high-quality professional mental health care when they need it, no matter where they live,” he said.

“But we also need to recognise the power policymakers have to improve farmer wellbeing through better responses to the economic and climate challenges they face. Mental health support is critical, but so too is addressing the underlying pressures that are driving distress in the first place.” Click here to download the full National Farmer Wellbeing Report.