NFU Mutual (UK), founded in 1910 by farmers for farmers, is the leading rural community insurer in the UK today. Staying true to its heritage, NFU Mutual’s overarching strategy is ‘To protect and enhance the lives of our customers and rural communities, by delivering a local, personal and attentive service that is second to none’.
Farm safety is a primary concern for the insurer and the communities it serves, with more than 18% of all deaths in UK workplaces occurring on a farm. This means that agricultural workers are 21 times more likely to die than any other industry worker. Farm accidents and personal injury are not the only cause for concern. The mental health of farm workers is also a safety matter, with twice as many of the lives lost in agriculture being from suicide than from accidents. To combat this, NFU Mutual set up the Farm Safety Foundation, an independent charity, to work with farming communities to shed light and provide support to prevent accidents, foster behavioural change and build resilience for the sector.
The charity achieved this through four main activities:
- Education: producing high-quality, innovative education tools and technology through multiple touchpoints, NFU Mutual is equipping the farms of the future with resilient learning and a positive safety culture.
- Community engagement: providing face-to-face conversations at various community platforms to discuss and explain reduced risk-taking, correcting poor safety behaviour and the benefits throughout the value chain.
- Awareness: NFU Mutual supports the two campaigns organised annually by the Farm Safety Foundation: Farm Safety Week and Mind Your Head, aimed at safety and mental health awareness, respectively, to break stigma around mental health and encourage people to seek help.
- Research: the Farm Safety Foundation explores the attitudes and behaviours of farmers to understand risk factors around farm safety and poor mental health. This research is used to influence policy and practice and promote resilience.
A major hindrance to growth in the sector is theft. Rural theft in the UK is estimated to have cost GBP 40 million in 2021. As well as causing anxiety for farmers and their communities, the effect of theft in the supply chain is widely felt as it can impact food security. Farm machinery theft is increasing due to the valuable nature of farm equipment and, with the rising cost of living, rural crime is only expected to increase.
NFU Mutual is working with the police and investing in a specialist policing unit that aims to protect and equip farmers to keep their people and their machinery safe from theft. Through knowledge sharing with the police, NFU Mutual can identify risk areas and warn people about rising trends. In 2021, NFU Mutual recovered GBP 2.6 million of stolen machinery, a 13% increase from 2020.
The insurer incentivises customers to protect their property and reduce risk through discounts on security products and agricultural vehicle premiums if they use approved measures. It also works with the security industry and manufacturers, supporting them in the hope of one day out-designing crime, for example changing the design/composition of valuable equipment to make it less attractive to criminals.
Looking to the future, NFU Mutual is identifying ways it can use innovation in the fight against theft. It has recently sponsored two trials, using sensors to alert farmers to unusual activity and using other types of communication networks in areas of poor connectivity where internet access is challenging.
However, the future is not just about innovation. NFU Mutual recognises the importance of the next generation of farmers and is working with communities to train young farmers to identify crime risks and share advice on prevention.
NFU Mutual publishes claims data in its annual report, sharing figures, insights, trends, and advice. This information is for the benefit of its members, farming groups, the security industry, police, and it also helps to raise awareness of the issues surrounding rural crime. The insurer’s flagship campaign on rural crime runs yearly on national and regional media. It also works at a grassroots level in local communities.
