Policy Dialogue with Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski: "Young people in agriculture and rural areas"

It is impossible to ensure the future sustainability of agriculture and rural areas without young people. However, only every tenth EU farmer is under 44 years of age and persuading more young people to begin farming is a significant challenge. For this reason, generational renewal is one of the key priorities of the new Common Agricultural Policy, that provides stronger support for young farmers. Beyond agriculture, improving rural quality of life by supporting rural service provision, infrastructure and rural economic diversification are needed to make rural areas attractive for young people. 

Follow our Policy Dialogue with Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wokciechowski discussing together with young people:

• What are the main worries and key opportunities for youth in agriculture and rural areas?
• How the CAP supports young farmers?
• How young people can be empowered to take an active role in local development?
• Other relevant topics such as animal welfare or maintenance of rural areas?

Watch the event live from 14:30 to 16:30 via the European Commission live stream page or via the European Youth social media accounts.

Did you miss the live discussion? Don't worry, you can watch the recorded version by accessing the European Commission live stream page.

Take aways from the Dialogue

1. Generational renewal. There is a high need for generational renewal in agriculture, with over half of the farmers set to retire and very few young people ready to work in this sector. There are difficulties for the young farmers because of difficulties to have access to land, limited services in rural areas, limited revenues, high risks and limited insurance systems, increased by the climate change, as well as social recognition of agriculture. The first instalments support should take these elements into account. The young farmers voiced that more incentives and less red tape would be desirable under the Common Agriculture Policy.
2. Quality, not quantity. This should be our vision for the future of European agriculture.  The added value of the EU agricultural products is related to the quality and safety, which is the highest in the world and this should be further promoted. EU has also one of the highest animal welfare in the world and animal welfare represents a good promotion and good image for EU agriculture. 
3. Revenues for farmers should be increased, not least by increasing the share of prices paid by consumers into farmers' revenues, by reducing the supply chain and decreasing the farm to fork distance, which is currently 180 km/tone. Good organisation of farmers, including in cooperatives and control of farmers over food processing can also lead to higher revenues. Decreasing the abuse of position by supermarkets, including by using the directive of unfair trading practices  as well as national legislation guaranteeing that the prices paid by supermarkets cannot be lower than the production costs could also ensure higher revenues for farmers
4. EU funding for agriculture. While Common Agricultural policy (CAP) offers important support for farmers, other EU funding instruments should contribute to support rural areas, such as cohesion funds and Recovery and Resilience Facility. Regarding the future CAP, incentives (i.e. ecoschemes) are prefered to restrictions by the young.

European Union - Rural Vision

Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski