In 2020, the average age of EU farmers was 57, with only 12% under the age of 40 and just 2.5% of those women. The Commission said ageing is faster in agriculture than in any other sector, with one in three farms managed by someone above retirement age.
“Ensuring generational renewal, especially on family farms, is essential to maintain food security, transfer knowledge, and align productivity with sustainability,” it said.
The new plan identifies five priority areas; access to finance, land, education, fair living standards in rural areas, and help with succession and retirement. With several ‘concrete initiatives’ to follow.
These include a ‘starter pack’ for young farmers offering lump sums of up to €300,000 in the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), better-targeted funding, and the creation of a European Land Observatory to track land and prevent speculation.
EU agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen said: “We work closely with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to explore the possibilities of guarantee schemes and interest rate subsidies. Easier access to finance is essential.”
He added: “We will launch a European Land Observatory to keep track of available land, and prevent land speculation – to make it easier for new entrants to start farming.”
The EU will also co-fund a new Farm Relief Service to improve farmers’ work-life balance. “We will co-fund the wages of the workers replacing them. We call this Farm Relief Service,” Hansen said.
Member states will be asked to dedicate at least 6% of their CAP budgets to supporting young and new farmers under future policy proposals.