Intergenerational Transformation in Agriculture: Empowering Young Farmer Aspirants through Green Entrepreneurship (KA220-YOU)

Recent disruptions in Europe’s food supply chains, most visibly experienced after the war in Ukraine, have revealed how fragile the continent’s food security has become when production, knowledge and generational continuity in agriculture are weakened. This experience showed that food security is not only a matter of logistics or emergency response, but of long-term capacity, youth engagement and the ability to adapt agricultural systems to new realities.

Across Europe, agriculture faces a common structural challenge: the gap between ageing farming practices and young people who are willing to engage in the sector but lack viable entry pathways. Many young people come from farming families, study agriculture or related fields at universities, or express interest in sustainable food systems, yet remain outside active production. Traditional knowledge is often transmitted informally, while innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainability frameworks remain disconnected from this intergenerational transfer.

This project addresses that gap by strengthening young farmer aspirants through green entrepreneurship and structured intergenerational knowledge exchange. Traditional agricultural practices and cultural elements are approached as living resources to be critically reworked, rather than preserved or replaced. The focus lies on enabling young people to transform inherited knowledge into climate-resilient, economically viable and locally grounded agricultural initiatives.

Ukraine is positioned as a key context country within the partnership. Beyond the immediate impacts of war, Ukraine represents a strategic agricultural actor whose recent experience has exposed Europe’s dependency on limited production regions. A Ukrainian university with a strong agricultural profile is sought as a partner to contribute academic expertise, youth access and practice-oriented testing of project outputs. The university’s role is expected to focus on engaging young people with agricultural backgrounds, validating developed tools in different learning formats and linking academic knowledge with post-crisis agricultural transition.

Northern European partners, particularly from Norway, are expected to contribute experience in climate adaptation, rural resilience and sustainable farming models in challenging environmental conditions. Organisations from the Netherlands are sought for their expertise in agricultural innovation, green business development and entrepreneurship ecosystems, particularly in supporting young people to turn ideas into scalable practices. Southern European partners from Spain are included to reflect contexts marked by water scarcity, rural depopulation and youth unemployment, where the need for new agricultural pathways is structural rather than crisis-driven. Partners from Central Europe, such as Hungary, are expected to bring experience related to family farming, generational transition and the practical challenges of modernising traditional agricultural systems.

The partnership seeks youth organisations, agricultural NGOs, universities and applied research institutions that actively work with young people interested in agriculture, rural development or sustainable food systems. Partner organisations are expected to have direct access to young farmer aspirants, practical experience in non-formal or applied learning, and the capacity to contribute to joint development rather than isolated activities. Purely academic, policy-only or advocacy-focused organisations are not the primary target; instead, the project prioritises actors able to bridge knowledge, practice and youth engagement.

Through collaborative development and testing of learning pathways, entrepreneurial tools and cooperation models, the project aims to produce transferable outputs that support young people in moving from interest to action in sustainable agriculture. By connecting food security concerns with youth participation and green entrepreneurship, the project contributes to building a more resilient and future-oriented agricultural ecosystem across Europe.