The ageing farming workforce and the health and sustainability of agricultural communities: A narrative review

OBJECTIVE: To review and synthesise research related to the ageing farming workforce influence on the health and sustainability of agricultural communities. DESIGN: Using the PRISMA framework as a guide, the CINHAL and Medline databases were searched. Search 1 used the key search terms of ageing OR aging, farm*, workforce. Search 2 used health, sustainability and 'agricultural OR farm communit*. Search 3 combined Searches 1 and 2. Search 4 followed journal citations to identify other relevant articles. A process of narrative synthesis was applied to the results through the prism of rural social capital that described the current state of knowledge and understanding under four themes. RESULT: Database searches and searching of citations identified 16 contemporary articles. Seven of the papers were from Australia, and the balance from five other high-income countries. The four that themes emerged are: vulnerabilities of ageing farmers; economic and climatic drivers; social capital and sustainability; and integrative strategies, that might offer a way forward. CONCLUSION: Integrating these forces of nature, economics and sociology to address the ageing farming workforce and the associated health and sustainability of agricultural communities remains a major challenge for researchers, governments, the agricultural sector and rural communities.