Agricultural Health and Sustainability: Addressing Occupational, Mental, and Environmental Challenges
A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Health".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 33
Special Issue Editor
Interests: agricultural safety and health; mental health; injury epidemiology; occupational injuries
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Agriculture provides essential food, fiber, and fuel for humans, yet it is one of the most hazardous occupations. Workers face multiple health risks, including pesticide and fertilizer exposure, respiratory hazards caused by dust and bioaerosols, injuries from machinery and livestock, musculoskeletal strain, and heat stress. Mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, and elevated suicide risk, are also prevalent, driven in part by financial instability, long work hours, social isolation, and climate-related uncertainties. These risks are compounded by structural vulnerabilities such as seasonal employment, migrant labor conditions, and limited access to healthcare.
Agriculture is also interconnected with the environment. Intensive practices contribute to soil degradation, water contamination, biodiversity loss, and greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change exacerbates physical and mental health risks by increasing exposure to extreme weather events, altering pest pressures, and increasing uncertainty in production cycles. This creates a feedback loop where practices designed to maximize yields may harm workers and ecosystems, undermining sustainability.
Integrated strategies that reduce chemical exposures, promote sustainable land management, and strengthen physical and mental health are essential in resilient food systems that protect people, animals, and the environment. Addressing agricultural health also requires researchers to address the structural pressures of labor precarity, trade, and debt. Sustainable solutions must integrate worker protections, mental health supports, and policies that stabilize livelihoods while safeguarding ecosystems.
This Special Issue welcomes articles that address these topics, especially those combining a high academic standard and a practical focus on providing practical and innovative approaches.
Prof. Dr. Lorann Stallones
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- resilient food systems
- mental health
- sustainable agriculture
- agricultural safety and health
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