Empowering Youth in Agriculture: A Collective Call to Action
15 Jan 2025
In an open letter to the European Commission, youth organizations call for urgent action to empower young farmers and ensure their voices shape the future of food and farming.

The Slow Food Youth Network (SFYN) has come together with a coalition of youth organizations passionate about agriculture, food systems, and rural sustainability to address a pressing challenge: the aging of Europe’s agricultural sector. In a joint declaration to the European Commission, they call for decisive action to empower young farmers and ensure their active participation in shaping the future of European agriculture.
Today, the average farmer in Europe is 57 years old, and only 6.5% of farmers are under 35. Europe is losing 1,000 farms every day. These figures highlight a growing crisis in generational renewal, exacerbated by barriers like limited access to land, insufficient financial resources, and a lack of career opportunities for young people in agriculture.
In their declaration, signatories commend the European Commission’s and Commissioner Christophe Hansen’s efforts to prioritize young farmers and generational renewal in the EU’s vision for food and farming. They welcome initiatives like the Youth Policy Exchange, which bring young voices to the policymaking table, and are thus vital first steps toward a more inclusive and sustainable agricultural future.
Krista, Marie-Claire, Doris, Lennart, Alma, Malva, Francesca, Jean, Oskar, Sophie, George, Cristina, Jesse, Helene, Anja, Paola, Peter, Katharina, Adam, Bernardo, Jan, Mickael
Thank you for sharing your challenges and hopes with me today. pic.twitter.com/ojH2Z5emvT
— Christophe Hansen (@CHansenEU) December 11, 2024
This letter follows up a Youth Policy Dialogue held in December between the signatories and EU Commissioner for Food and Agriculture, Christophe Hansen. During this event, young stakeholders engaged in an open exchange about the challenges they face and their hopes for the future of European agriculture. The dialogue was an essential first step in recognizing the crucial role of young farmers and entrepreneurs in shaping resilient, innovative, and sustainable food systems.
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