Young farmers from the WFO network brought on-the-ground experience to the GASL webinar on generational renewal — showing that solutions exist, but enabling conditions must follow.

Generational renewal in agriculture is becoming increasingly urgent. As farming populations age, rural areas depopulate, and younger generations continue to leave the sector. Across regions, this is not only a demographic issue. It is also a structural challenge, shaped by delayed farm transfers, limited pension security, and the low perceived attractiveness of agriculture as a career.

On 16 April, the Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock (GASL), in collaboration with the World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO), co-organised a webinar on generational renewal and youth engagement in agriculture, where young farmers from the WFO network shared their on-the-ground experience, highlighting both challenges and potential solutions.

Screenshot from the event “Strategies for generational renewal and youth engagement in agriculture. Reversing urbanization megatrends for rural development.″; Image courtesy of Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock (GASL)

In Cambodia, Ngan Kimlay, a member of the Cambodian Federation of Agricultural Producers (CFAP), explained that generational renewal remains a persistent challenge in her community. Many young people consider farming an unstable and unprofitable occupation. She also noted that limited pension systems delay farm transfers because older farmers remain active longer. This creates additional barriers for younger generations trying to enter the sector. Continued constraints on access to land, finance and infrastructure, and unequal opportunities for women also persist.

She highlighted that providing the right support to young farmers and ensuring access to technology and modern farming tools, it is possible to achieve a better future for agriculture.

Screenshot from the event “Strategies for generational renewal and youth engagement in agriculture. Reversing urbanization megatrends for rural development.″; Image courtesy of Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock (GASL)

From a European perspective, Pier Carlo Tondo, National Secretary of Coldiretti Giovani Impresa and WFO Youth Committee Facilitator, emphasised the common challenges faced by younger generations in agriculture worldwide, particularly in the livestock sector, including those linked to climate change, market volatility, and declining farm profitability. He stressed the need for concrete policy frameworks to retain youth in agriculture: “We need a strategy that places the next generation at the centre of the sector and the food value chain that are essential for the future. We need policies that strengthen investment capacity, improve the functioning of food value chains, and enhance risk-management tools”.

Part of the broader GASL webinar series supporting the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists and the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026, one message was clear. Young farmers are already delivering solutions. However, scaling their action depends on the right enabling conditions. For WFO, this reinforces the need to place generational renewal at the centre of global agricultural discussions. Policies, investment frameworks and market systems create conditions for young farmers not only to enter the sector, but to remain and grow within it. As outlined in WFO’s Policy on Young Farmers, this requires an enabling environment that removes structural barriers and recognises young farmers as entrepreneurs in sustainable and competitive agrifood systems.

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