According to Dr. Arden Andersen, both a holistic physician and longtime agricultural consultant, farmers today are among the highest-risk groups in the U.S. for developing chronic illnesses. Andersen, who spent years splitting his career between medicine and agriculture, says he now sees many farmers in his practice because they are “amongst the sickest of groups in the country…with a number of issues from cancer to heart disease to Parkinson’s.”
He explains that several major changes in farm life over the past 50 years have contributed to declining farmer health. Many producers no longer maintain gardens or regularly eat fresh fruits and vegetables, instead relying on fast food during long days in machinery cabs or in front of computers. Reduced physical activity compared to previous generations also plays a role.
Chemical exposure remains one of the biggest concerns. Farmers often handle pesticides directly, and residues on food, add to the cumulative exposure. Andersen notes that “when you combine that reduction in diet quality with an addition of pesticide residues…you see high cancer rates and high Parkinson’s rates in the farming community.”
He also points to nitrate-contaminated well water and declining nutrient density in crops as long-term contributors to health issues. Because glyphosate binds essential trace minerals in the soil, he says the food grown on those soils contains fewer micronutrients critical for human health.
From his dual perspective in medicine and agriculture, Dr. Andersen believes producers need to begin finding new ways to manage weeds and pests. Methods that don’t compromise soil health or the well-being of the people working the land.
