ARC2020 has a longstanding collaboration with Forum Synergies, with whom we share common objectives.
Since 2023, this renewed and coordinated collaboration focuses on the theme of intergenerational cooperation. We believe that by joining forces, we can help to co-construct a fairer, agroecological future for farming, food systems and rural areas.
Why Intergenerational Cooperation? Exploring the Complexities of Farm Succession
We explored together the topic of intergenerational dialogue in farming at Weaving Common Ground, a European gathering of sustainable rural initiatives held in Grzybów, Poland in November 2024.
The handover of farms brings both challenges and opportunities, whether through family inheritance or new non-family arrangements. In a workroom facilitated by policy expert Elena Ambühl and Forum Synergies’ coordinator Simone Matouch, participants noted some pressing challenges to farm succession across Europe:
1. Declining Successor Numbers
A significant number of farms are at risk of closure due to a lack of successors. At the same time, aspiring farmers often face barriers to land access, including exorbitant prices and speculative land markets.
2. Negative Narratives About Farming
For many farming families, narratives such as “hard work, low income” deter younger generations from taking over farms. Additionally, traditional gender roles still play a role, with farms often passed down to sons rather than daughters. Encouragingly, participants from Plessé, France, shared that more educated women are now showing interest in farming careers.
3. Generational Misalignment
Differences in values and life priorities between older and younger generations also pose challenges. For the older generation, the 24/7 work model is a reality that is rarely questioned, while younger farmers value work-life balance and family time. A Polish participant noted the social difficulty farmers face, observing that only 1 in 10 young farmers can find a partner willing to manage a farm together.
4. Social and Cultural Obstacles
Patriarchal structures and multi-generational living arrangements can complicate farm handovers. In some cases, young families taking over farms must also assume responsibility for elderly relatives, often leading to social tension. Women marrying into farming families frequently face unique challenges, having to assert their interests within extended family structures.
Weaving Common Ground between Generations
Participants identified several innovative solutions spanning economic, social, and legal aspects:
1. Economic Tools
- Establishing a European Land Observatory to monitor land prices and regulate speculation. Land should not be treated purely as a commodity.
- Addressing housing costs and ensuring affordable land access for aspiring farmers.
2. Connecting Generations
- Creating platforms to link retiring farmers with newcomers, such as the Austrian initiative Perspektive Landwirtschaft.
- Proposing a FarmErasmus program to foster cross-border exchange, enabling farmers to share experiences and learn from successful examples of intergenerational cooperation.
3. Legal Support
- Designing incentives to ease farm transitions, such as tax breaks or pension schemes for retiring farmers willing to hand over their land.
- Value of land – calculated based on its productive value rather than its market value
Commitments to action
The future of farming lies in breaking down barriers, fostering collaboration, and shifting perspectives. We must challenge the prevailing narrative that farming is “hard and without future” in order to attract new generations and ensure the sustainability of agriculture.
Building on this consensus, participants at Weaving Common Ground made the following commitments:
- Changing the Farming Narrative
Participants from the active farming sector pledged to share their positive experiences and inspiring views to counteract negative perceptions. Platforms such as Letters from the Farm were highlighted as effective means to amplify these stories, showcasing the rewards and opportunities that farming offers. - Strengthening Women Farmers’ Networks
Acknowledging the critical role of women in agriculture, participants committed to expanding support for women farmers’ networks. A new initiative, Women Heroes, will be launched as a dedicated strand within ARC2020’s communication efforts, providing a platform for articles and stories celebrating the contributions of women in agriculture.
Practical Support for Farm Handover
To address the complexities of farm succession, Simone Matouch offered to organize a practical meeting in her home region of Carinthia, Austria. This gathering, available upon request, would focus on sharing real-life experiences, discussing innovative succession models, and exploring incentives to support smoother transitions between generations.
Intergenerational responsibility
Ultimately, “weaving common ground” is more than a metaphor—it is a shared responsibility to bridge generations and sustain the heart of rural Europe.
In the spirit of intergenerational responsibility, we want to support capacity building to help young Europeans advocate for the future they want, while learning from the experiences of older generations who bring decades of work to the table.
To do this, we cannot remain in our silos. We must come together to exchange and reflect, to listen and learn from one another. In every precious exchange between generations is an opportunity to take action for our shared future. We invite you to discover below the fruits of such exchanges.
Read our book Rural Europe Takes Action
