The report outlines the results of an EU-wide survey among young farmers carried out by CEJA and DeLaval in all Member States. Based on a questionnaire, the objective was to discover the opinion of young farmers in relation to the sustainability of the agricultural sector, together with the challenges they face and the opportunities they see in being a young farmer. The survey has revealed important findings on the factors that young farmers consider important to develop a farm in an economically sustainable way. Overall, the results show that the most significant barriers for young people wishing to enter or remain in the agricultural sector are: a fair income level; access to land; simplification of administrative procedures; and a fair competition from global markets. The findings of the survey indicate that young farmers need on-farm investments to develop their activities, and more specifically they need investments for farmland expansion, knowledge development, and farm management optimisation technology. 

The results reveal that most European young farmers are environmentally conscious, they believe that sustainable farming contributes to the protection of the environment and that a healthy environment provides them with benefits, namely sustained biodiversity and ecosystems, enhanced natural resources, and efficiency improvement.