Funds of over 38 million earmarked for youth in agricultural sectors
The Veneto region in Italy has announced an additional €38.6 million in funding for its rural development plan, bringing the total to €35.5 million. This move is part of a broader strategy to promote generational turnover in agriculture, addressing the issue of insufficient generational renewal.
The regional Agriculture Councillor, Federico Caner, has highlighted the importance of this strategy, which involves creating favourable conditions to retain and attract younger generations to rural and agricultural sectors. The approach incorporates long-term, integrated regional development plans, fostering new jobs, improving infrastructure, adopting sustainable and technological innovations, and addressing demographic challenges comprehensively.
The regional development plans aim to make rural areas more attractive for younger people by incorporating cultural, technological, and economic dimensions. The plans also include goals from the European Capital of Culture (ECoC), demonstrating a commitment to enhancing the quality of life and job opportunities in rural and suburban areas.
New creative, knowledge-based, and sustainable agricultural jobs are being created with a focus on reversing brain-drain trends. This is expected to provide younger generations with viable professional prospects within their local contexts.
Improvements in infrastructure and connectivity, such as expanded public transport and cycling paths, are being made to make rural living and working conditions more accessible and appealing to younger populations.
The strategy also encourages the adoption of sustainable and technological innovations by local agricultural companies. This can attract younger farmers interested in modern, eco-friendly practices and increase the sector’s competitiveness and future prospects.
In addition to these measures, the regional government is providing extra aid to finance the establishment of 368 new agricultural businesses in the Veneto region. This aid is for six tenders promoted at the end of last year by the 2023-2027 rural development plan of Veneto. The decision to increase the aid allocation was made due to the high number of applications received and the relevance of the projects submitted.
The additional funds will be used to finance the establishment of 368 young agricultural entrepreneurs, with their requests linked to 507 applications for modernization or diversification of the companies in which they are established.
The combination of young people, generational turnover, and the start-up of rural enterprises is one of the six strategic priorities identified by Veneto in its Regional Complement for Rural Development. A significant portion of the funding for this priority comes from the Italian State and the EU, with €342.3 and €335.6 million respectively, and €146.7 million from the Region.
This multifaceted rural development strategy aims to directly and indirectly promote generational turnover in Veneto’s agricultural sector. The strategy also includes financing for the prevention of natural disaster damages to productions, with 90 aid applications set to be financed.
Despite these efforts, a recent report by Centro studi Divulga shows a 3% decrease in the number of agricultural enterprises led by young people under 35 years old nationwide in 2024 compared to 2023. However, Veneto's incidence of agricultural enterprises led by under 35s on the total sector remains at 6%, compared to 8% in Trentino-Alto Adige and 7% in Friuli Venezia Giulia.
This news underscores the ongoing efforts by the Veneto region to support and attract younger generations to agriculture and rural livelihoods, aiming to secure the sector's future sustainability and counteract the aging agricultural workforce.
The regional government is providing extra aid to finance the establishment of 368 new agricultural businesses, which is one of the six strategic priorities identified to promote generational turnover in Veneto's agricultural sector. Other than that, the strategy also encourages the adoption of sustainable and technological innovations by local agricultural companies, attracting younger farmers and increasing the sector’s competitiveness and future prospects.
