Voice of the Farmer 2026: Survey reveals urgent income and climate crisis weighing on returns

The hands that feed the world are under unprecedented strain. According to the Voice of the Farmer 2026 survey, over half of farmers feel they aren't being paid a fair price for their labor, while nearly one in four report their income is plummeting.

The assessment, conducted by the agricultural ecosystem and expertise hub Wikifarmer, collected responses from 10,234 respondents in 158 countries between November 2025 and March 2026.

According to the survey, 51 percent of participants said they do not receive fair prices for their produce, while 45 percent reported lower year-on-year net income. Among them, 24 percent described their income as "much worse," compared with 9.4 percent who said it was "much better."

"This survey suggests the pressures reshaping agriculture are broader and more complex than many assume," said Georgios Myrisis, lead researcher of the survey, agronomist, and Library Content Editor at Wikifarmer. "That should be the starting point for serious conversations about the future of food systems.”

Europe recorded the highest share of respondents reporting declining income at 56 percent, followed by South Asia at 44 percent and Africa at 43 percent. Oceania reported the lowest rate at 27 percent.

Nearly half of respondents, or 48 percent, rated their financial security at the lowest point on a five-point scale.

Climate-related losses also remained widespread. About 83 percent of the Voice of the Farmer survey respondents reported losing part of this year's production to weather events or pests, with drought, heat, flooding, storms, and frost being the most common causes. 

Farmers in Greece, Italy, Afghanistan, India, and Colombia reported the highest rates of severe crop losses.

Government support also received low ratings from respondents. Nearly two-thirds, or 63 percent, rated government support at one or two on a five-point scale, while only 13 percent gave positive ratings.

Farmers who gave the lowest ratings for government support were about 34 percentage points more likely to report poor financial security and unfair prices than those who rated support highly.

Voice of the Farmer in the United States

According to the document, nearly 59 percent of US farmers report lower incomes year-on-year, with another 60 percent noting unfair prices for their labor. 

About 14 percent of American growers reported key crop losses, with drought showing up as the top weather risk at 40 percent.

Overall stress levels peaked among farmers aged 41 to 50, with 42 percent reporting high stress. Approximately 21 percent of all respondents selected the highest available stress rating, with 54 percent of US farmers reporting high stress levels.

Data re-evaluates prevailing beliefs

The Voice of the Farmer survey also challenged assumptions about size and financial resilience. Respondents operating farms larger than 124 acres reported higher average stress levels than farmers managing less than 2.5 acres.

The document also identified direct online sales as the marketing channel most strongly associated with better financial outcomes.

After controlling for factors including region, farm size, farmer age, certification status, and climate exposure, respondents selling directly to customers online were 35 percent less likely to report an income decline than those using other marketing channels. Farmers' markets also showed a positive association, with respondents 20 percent less likely to report declining income.

According to Wikifarmer, the Voice of the Farmer survey is the largest international assessment of farmer attitudes published to date, in terms of respondent numbers and country coverage, surpassing previous global analyses.

*Main image is referential; graphs courtesy of Wikifarmer.

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