Who will feed the future? Four policy steps to secure the next generation of farmers

Take a moment and imagine the future of farming. Now, picture who’s going to run farms in 10 or 15 years. Across OECD countries, more than a quarter of farmers are already over 55, and in places like Japan and Korea, it’s over 70%! The fact is: the average farmer is getting older, and few young people are stepping up to replace them. This demographic shift poses challenges for agricultural succession, particularly as the sector faces larger skills mismatches and human capital constraints than other parts of the economy. So, what’s holding back new generations, and how can governments help attract them?

Agriculture remains a demanding profession, with many farmers still rising early and working hard in the fields to harvest food. But thanks to continued digital and technological innovations, new tools are increasingly easing labour-intensive and repetitive tasks, allowing farmers to focus on what truly matters. At the recent OECD Global Forum on Agriculture, policymakers, experts, and farmers came together to explore how this shift is reshaping perceptions and helping attract the talent needed for the sector’s ongoing transformation.

“Taking a step into digitalisation, we invested in a milking robot last year. This not only increased the farm's efficiency but also animal welfare and human well-being. The robot empowers me as a young woman in agriculture, allowing me to focus on managing the cows,” says Valentina Gutkas, young farmer and Chair of Rural Youth Austria, who attended the Forum.

Innovation is expanding farmers' toolkits, from drones and soil sensors to smart guidance systems, helping manage resources and protect the environment. While planting and caring for crops remain at the heart of farming, digital tools and data increasingly support the profession, enabling approaches like precision agriculture to optimise inputs and improves efficiency.  Digital applications can also monitor animal health and connect farmers to facilitate knowledge sharing. These types of innovation and digitalisation are transforming the sector, attracting talent who want to work with cutting-edge solutions. As a recent OECD study found, new farmers are more likely to adopt new technologies and demonstrate greater entrepreneurial skills than established farmers, bringing fresh innovation to the sector.

Young farmers bring new skills, creativity, and energy. Some come to farming with backgrounds in IT, biology, or business, ready to combine their passions with agriculture.

“I decided to study agriculture without any specific farming background, and my main motivation was the health benefit of what we consume. In Cameroon, you rarely find young people engaged in agriculture because they associate it with poverty. But there are so many opportunities and that is what I would like to show them. I started a nursery of seeds and seedlings to connect with farmers and demonstrate the innovative things I do in my greenhouse. I consider myself an agripreneur trying to reveal the business opportunities that lie in agriculture,” says Medefo Talom Sandrine, young farmer and agripreneur from Cameroon.

Others, despite leaving farming to pursue different careers, return to the land they inherited from their families with fresh perspectives and new skills.

“I am from a farming family and saw three female generations before me heavily involved in farming. I did not like farming, and my mother wanted me to go to a corporate job. I worked as a communications specialist. But in 2019, I faced job insecurity and needed to provide for my son, who had just started high school. So I decided to use my grandfather’s land to grow yellow yam. My farm grew rapidly until last year’s Hurricane Beryl made all my investments literally go down the drain. I am thinking about how to change the model of my farm to reduce these impacts through a community model that shares the risks currently faced by farmers alone. Risk is one of the barriers keeping young people from farming, and with Hurricane Melissa impacting us this year, I am using all my skills to think about such new models,” says Latoya Rattray-Ellis, farmer from Jamaica.

Even with new opportunities and potential, starting a career in farming remains a huge challenge. Land prices are high and rules don’t always favour newcomers. For women, Indigenous Peoples, and those from non-farming families, the hurdles can be even higher. Plus, when education and jobs call from the city, many young people leave rural areas behind.

“I always wanted to become a farmer, but as I didn't have a farm to inherit, I struggled to see my pathway. Through the Land Mobility Service in Macra na Feirme, the young farmers’ association in Ireland, I found a partnership where my business partner provides the land and facilities, whereas I provide the labour and the stock in the herd, and we do a 50-50 profit share. This has given me my pathway into farming in my own right,” says Christopher Cahill, Young Farmer of the Year in 2024 in Ireland.

So, what can governments and communities do to attract and keep fresh talent in farming? The answer lies in policies that make farming attractive, viable, and respected:

• Promote farming as an innovation-led sector with a bright, sustainable future.
• Reform existing policies that raise barriers to newcomers, like access to land and complex regulations.
• Invest in rural infrastructure, education, skills and innovation as the keystone of future agricultural policies.
• Share diverse farmer stories to change perceptions and attract wider talent.

By combining these approaches, agriculture can become a magnet for young people who want to make a real difference.

Imagine farms buzzing with innovation, led by farmers of all ages and diverse backgrounds passionate about sustainability, technology, and community. This isn’t just a dream, it’s happening. These farmers are vital to feeding a growing population, conserving nature, and rejuvenating rural economies.

The future of farming depends on the next generation’s energy and ideas. We need policies that open doors and open minds. For policymakers and citizens, supporting young and diverse farmers isn’t just about agriculture- it’s about securing food, the environment, and opportunities for all.