The vocational psychology of agriculture: Fiat Panis

Agriculture is intrinsic to humanity. Sustainable production of food and fibre is literally vital to the human population and the earth’s environmental integrity. From the primary source to the consumer, agriculture involves the work of millions of people working in a vast variety of occupations and industries. Psychology can and should contribute to sustainable agriculture by way of research, development, and practices that effect the attraction, retention, and engagement of workers in occupations embedded in the international value chain, including semi-skilled, trade, and professional work. We argue that vocational psychology has the scientific, technical, and professional resources to make a substantial contribution to agriculture. We conceptualise the “vocational psychology of agriculture” in terms of the Sustainable Development Goals, the paradigmatic lens of the Psychology of Working, and the Social Cognitive Career Theory, and propose an agenda for research and development.