‘Conclusion: Youth aspirations, trajectories, and farming futures

This book commenced with a question of global importance: in a world in which farming populations are ageing, who is going to provide the planet’s peoples with the “sufficient, safe and nutritious food” that is needed to meet the “dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life” (FAO 2006)? In other words, where are the people who are needed to generationally renew farming? As explained in the introduction, addressing this question meant going against the grain of much research on youth and agriculture. Rather than seeking to understand youth’s apparent disinterest in farming and their exodus from the countryside, the research teams focused on those youth and young adults who stayed in, returned, or relocated to rural areas and were involved in farming (often alongside various other economic activities). Thereby, the case studies presented in this book have put in the spotlight the next generation of farmers. In this concluding chapter, we draw out some important issues emerging from across the chapters and reflect on key differences. This way, we reiterate the various pathways of becoming a farmer, the main challenges experienced by these young farming women and men, and the roles that policies and organizations could play in facilitating the process of becoming a farmer.