Young Farmers in the European Union

This document explores some of the major trends of the agricultural sector and its role in the economy of the European Union in comparison with other major actors in the world. In particular, it focuses on the position of young farmers in the EU. It looks at some of the indicators established in the Common Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, which provides a single framework covering all rural development interventions by the EU during the period 2007-2013. It also covers the economic development of the agricultural sector, and the educational attainment and age structure of the agricultural labour force. It pays particular attention to the decline in young farmers, despite existing measures of support.