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Farm Risk Map

Risto Rautiainen and Jarkko Leppala

Summary

The purpose of this study was to develop and test risk management tools that can help farmers identify and manage a broad range of potential risks on and off the farm. The Farm Risk Map tools involve identifying, evaluating, controlling, and monitoring risks. The tools help collect and organize information on risks involving people, production, property, and the environment. We pilot-tested the Farm Risk Map tools on two case farms in Finland, and we conducted a survey among farm employers (n=228) addressing the utility of the tools. The pilot study farmers emphasized the importance of stress management, worker arrangements, safe work practices, scheduling work tasks, production backup systems, environmentally friendly practices, fire safety, and managing the overall complexity of the farm. In the survey, 47% of dairy producers and 37% of crop producers thought that the Farm Risk Map was useful for them. Machinery handbooks and own written instructions were also used commonly for risk management. So far, the tools have been used primarily for educational purposes. Further efforts aim to increase their use among farmers.

Details

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