The agrarian imperative as the foundation for how farmers and ranchers diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome find meaning in their experience: A mixed methods approach

In a survey of 201 farmers and ranchers diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome, anxiety was the most frequently reported mental health impact, linked to forced dietary changes.

• Why it matters: The agrarian imperative can be undermined when an emerging tickborne allergy limits agricultural work, threatening wellbeing, productivity, and daily life.
• What they did: Using agrarian imperative theory, the study analyzed survey responses from 201 diagnosed operators and interview data from 14 participants, assessing work tasks, wellbeing burden, financial strain, and dietary changes.
• The result: Nearly half of the sample reported distress related to modifying work tasks and worrying about operation productivity, and operators with animals were more likely to face greater work challenges.

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