This survey is launched by the UN Decade of Family Farming 2019-2028 (UNDFF) Secretariat as part of its effort to promote the generational sustainability of family farming.

One of the main preconditions for keeping agri-food systems viable and sustainable is the generational renewal of family farming, i.e. the retaining of young people on the farms and in rural communities. The future of food and agriculture lies in the hands of the next generation of family farmers. Urgent actions are therefore needed to support young people’s engagement in family farming both a goal to be realized and a means for the transformation of agri-food systems.

The UNDFF, therefore, devotes special attention to the generational renewal of family farming: its Global Action Plan Pillar 2 cuts across all other areas of work and provides guidance to develop and implement conducive strategies to empower youth in family farming and allow them to become active agents in agri-food systems in general.

This survey invites family farmers from all age groups to reflect on the challenges and opportunities associated with generational turnover in family farming. It aims to gather first hand experiences from different generations to inform the discussions at the YFRT 2022 aiming (1) to provide examples and recommendations on policies and practices to facilitate generational turnover in family farming; and (2) to provide recommendations and strategies for the implementation of those identified policies and practices, particularly at national and regional levels.

The questionnaire used for this consultation is based on the work done by the Youth Working Group of the International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty. The first results of this data collection exercise will be discussed during the Young Farmers Round Table 2022 (YFRT 2022), which will take place during the flagship event of the World Food Forum (October 17-21, 2022).