Young Farmers Leading Eco-friendly Agricultural Futures

ongoing

LEAF (New Farmers Leading Eco-friendly Agricultural Futures) is a research project that explores the motivations, challenges, and enabling factors driving young farmers to adopt agroecological practices. Focusing on Denmark, it aims to understand the barriers young farmers face in generational renewal and the adoption of sustainable farming methods. With only 12% of European farm managers under 40, and a significant gender imbalance, the project also seeks to identify how public policies, particularly the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), can better support this new generation of farmers, with attention to gender-specific needs. LEAF is an interdisciplinary research project combining social science and ecology. It uses a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach to engage directly with young Danish farmers. Through participatory interviews and workshops, the project aims to gather insights into their motivations and obstacles, such as technical knowledge gaps, financial constraints, and limited market access. The findings will be enriched through a review of relevant literature and an analysis of CAP policies. The project will generate practical outputs, including guidelines for young farmers and policy recommendations to foster agroecology and support generational renewal. These insights will help shape more inclusive and effective European agricultural policies, ensuring that both male and female farmers are equipped to transition toward more sustainable, eco-friendly farming practices. Through LEAF, a nuanced understanding of young farmers' socio-economic and policy challenges will emerge, providing valuable guidance for future agricultural strategies. This research has the potential to significantly impact the future of farming, promoting long-term sustainability and gender equity in the agricultural sector.