What is it about?

Many farms in Europe are run by older farmers, while relatively few young people are entering agriculture. This creates a serious challenge for the future of farming, rural communities and food production. This article explains why farm succession is not only a question of money. Financial support for young farmers is important, but it does not automatically lead older farmers to hand over their farms. For many farmers, the farm is not just a business. It is part of their identity, family history and social status. Giving up control can therefore feel like losing their role, independence and recognition in the community. The article shows that delayed succession can have wider effects. It may slow down investment, reduce innovation, limit access to land for younger farmers and make farming systems less able to adapt to new challenges. Older farmers may also continue working despite declining health, which can increase physical and mental strain. The main message is that generational renewal in agriculture requires more than subsidies. Policies should support gradual handover, shared management, mentoring, safer working conditions and better rural health and social services. Older farmers should not simply be pushed out of farming. Instead, they need dignified ways to pass on knowledge and responsibility while remaining valued members of rural communities.

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Why is it important?

This article is timely because agriculture across Europe is facing a growing generational imbalance: many farms are still managed by older farmers, while relatively few young people are entering the sector. The issue matters not only for farm ownership, but also for innovation, land use, rural wellbeing and the long-term resilience of food production. What makes this work distinctive is that it looks beyond the usual policy focus on subsidies and financial incentives. It argues that farm succession is also shaped by identity, health, family roles, local status and the meaning of being a “good farmer”. For many older farmers, handing over control is not simply a business decision; it can feel like losing independence, recognition and purpose. The article also highlights an important gap in existing research: Central and Eastern European, post-socialist agrarian structures remain underexamined in debates on farm succession. By bringing together international evidence and pointing to this regional research gap, the article helps policymakers, researchers and rural organisations think differently about generational renewal. Its main contribution is to show that successful farm succession requires more than helping young farmers enter the sector. It also requires dignified pathways for older farmers to share control, pass on knowledge and remain valued members of rural communities.

Perspectives

I wrote this article because debates on generational renewal in agriculture often focus too narrowly on financial incentives. Farming is not just a business; for many older farmers it is a source of identity, dignity and belonging. This makes succession difficult. The key question is not only how to bring young people into farming, but also how older farmers can hand over responsibility without losing status or purpose. I see this as especially important in Central and Eastern Europe, where post-socialist agrarian structures remain underexplored. For me, the wider message is that agricultural sustainability also depends on social sustainability: farms need innovation and new entrants, but also dignified ways for older farmers to pass on knowledge and remain valued.

Professor Imre Fertő
Eotvos Lorand Tudomanyegyetem

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This page is a summary of: Kivonulás vagy folytonosság? Az öregedő agrárium demográfiai válsága, Tér és Társadalom, July 2026, Ter es Tarsadalom,
DOI: 10.17649/tet.40.2.3728.
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