Agriculture needs a new generation. What does the new generation need?

The future of agriculture looks different depending on who is looking at it. For a young person, it is a question of possibilities, but also of difficult decisions. 

At the World Food Forum (WFF) in Rome in October 2026, young farmers, pastoralists, innovators and youth leaders brought their perspectives into conversations with Viorel Gutu, Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for Europe and Central Asia. Their exchanges offered a closer look at the choices, uncertainties and expectations behind the broader debate about agriculture's future.

A generation with ambitions, but limited opportunities

In the European Union, fewer than 12 percent of farm managers are under 40, while one in three are aged 65 or older. Central Asia has a much younger population but faces a different challenge: creating attractive jobs and economic opportunities for its growing workforce.

Behind these figures are decisions made by young people and their families. Is farming a viable livelihood? Can a young entrepreneur access land or financing? Are there opportunities to learn, innovate and build a business without leaving a rural community?

For young people in pastoralist communities, these choices are becoming more difficult as environmental pressures add to existing economic challenges. Representatives from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan joined peers from Bhutan, Mongolia and Nepal in bringing recommendations from national consultations to the Forum. They highlighted challenges ranging from drought, water scarcity and declining pasture productivity to limited access to land, finance, infrastructure and markets.

These are not problems that motivation alone can solve. 

“Generational renewal is not simply about bringing more young people into agrifood systems. It is about creating the conditions that make agriculture and rural areas desirable places, where young people want to live, work, and build their future,” Gutu said.

A seat at the table and a say in decisions

Young people are already contributing ideas and solutions, whether through research, innovation, entrepreneurship or community initiatives. But how much influence do they have over decisions that shape their opportunities?

The WFF National Youth Chapters offer one way to connect young people with governments, researchers, businesses and other institutions. In 2026 in Tajikistan, young participants in the FAO Regional Conference for Europe went on to establish a National Youth Chapter, creating a platform for continued engagement beyond the regional event.
The challenge is to ensure that these networks can influence policies and investments, rather than simply provide another opportunity for consultation.

FAO’s Third Regional Rural Youth Forum planned for 2027, and the next session of the FAO Regional Conference for Europe in 2028 offer further opportunities to integrate young people's perspectives into regional policy discussions.
What happens next?

The value of these discussions will ultimately depend on what follows them. Will the recommendations of young pastoralists inform decisions on land management and rural investment? And will more young people find the support they need to turn their ideas into viable livelihoods?

FAO is working on parts of this challenge. In Kazakhstan, it is connecting young people with employers, supporting mentoring and career development, and encouraging youth-led innovation. FAO’s research in Central Asia and the Western Balkans is helping to identify where policies and programmes could better respond to young people's aspirations and needs.

But the changes needed extend well beyond individual projects. Governments, educational institutions, businesses and development partners all have a role in making agriculture a realistic and rewarding choice for youth.

The World Food Forum gave young people an opportunity to bring their experiences and recommendations into international discussions. The next step belongs as much to the institutions listening as to the young people speaking.

“If generational renewal has too often been the forgotten investment, our task now is to make it a deliberate one: investing not only in young people, but in conditions that will enable them to build a future in agriculture and rural areas,” Gutu concluded.