Understanding farm generational renewal and its influencing factors in Europe

Coopmans, Isabeau, Dessein, Joost, Accatino, Francesco, Antonioli, Federico, Bertolozzi-Caredio, Daniele, Gavrilescu, Camelia, Gradziuk, Piotr, Manevska-Tasevska, Gordana, Meuwissen, Miranda, Peneva, Mariya, Pettit, Andrea, Urquhart, Julie ORCID: 0000-0001-5000-4630 and Wauters, Erwin (2021) Understanding farm generational renewal and its influencing factors in Europe. Journal of Rural Studies, 86. pp. 398-409. doi:10.1016/j.jrurstud.2021.06.023

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Abstract

Understanding the complex process of generational renewal (GR) in agriculture is essential for supporting the continuation of farming. This paper demonstrates how multiple factors, simultaneously and through their mutual interactions, influence GR and related individual decision-making processes. Results originated from 155 in-depth interviews performed on 85 farms in eleven European regions, and were triangulated with the literature. Our analysis, combining inductive and deductive approaches, revealed three conceptual phases (successor identity formation, farm succession process, and farm development) and fourteen factors important to understand GR. We elaborate how these factors interact, hence exert their impact on (one of) the phases in a complex and variable way. Implications highlight potential pitfalls and opportunities for attracting people into agriculture. Although policy-makers should be aware of their limited ability to affect GR by targeting the first phase, we propose some ideas that would complement current existing measures acting on the third phase.

Item Type:	Article
Article Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Agriculture; Farm succession; Generational renewal; Young farmers; Decision-making; Europe
Subjects:	S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General)
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > Countryside and Community Research Institute
Research Priority Areas:	Place, Environment and Community
Depositing User:	Rhiannon Goodland
Date Deposited:	26 Jul 2021 10:55
Last Modified:	26 Sep 2022 10:35
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/9997

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