The trend of farmers retiring without young farmers stepping into their boots is threatening the EU’s food production, according to the European Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen.

Commissioner Hansen stated that Brussels plans on tackling the barriers facing young farmers attempting to get a foothold on the land in strategy due for release this summer.

This strategy will attempt to stem the exodus of EU farmers from agriculture.

In the last decade, three million farmers have stepped back with no one to fill their place.

“If we do not act to secure farming for future generations, we will lose even more of those farms and that would threaten the EU’s strategic autonomy in food production,” the commissioner said on Thursday.

Main barriers

“We are still a net exporter but that is not something we should take as a given.

“After the summer, we will present a strategy to address the main barriers that make it difficult or unattractive for young farmers to enter or stay in the sector.

“The EU will work on improving support for young farmers to start their operations, but they need other basics in place first: they need access to knowledge, access to credit, access to land and also to rural services.”

Measures will be put forward in the strategy for generational renewal to allow young farmers “turn their farms into profitable businesses”, address issues around land leasing and improve the overall attractiveness of rural areas to young people, he said.