CAMPAIGN Young people in agriculture and food
‘WE NEED A REVOLUTION’
The value of food production and its workers must change to attract the young
The food, drink and agriculture sector (FDA) may be facing many challenges, the threat of the climate emergency perhaps the most urgent. But there remains an even more fundamental problem. The food and agricultural workforce – in the UK and much of the developed world – is dwindling.
An ageing workforce and lack of new, young entrants into the sector is causing growing labour shortages. A new report, commissioned by dairy cooperative Arla Foods in collaboration with Harper Adams University’s school of sustainable food and farming, highlighted some of these issues.
The report found 37 per cent of employers in food and agriculture in the UK lack confidence in recruiting skilled staff.
Meanwhile, nearly 84 per cent of farmers say they have had vacancies with very few or no applicants with the right skills to fill them. Another sobering statistic? 40 per cent of English farm holders are over the age of 65.
The lack of young people in the agri- food sector isn’t necessarily from lack of interest.
While only 4 per cent of young people under 35 are currently employed or actively pursuing a career in agriculture, 38 per cent said they would be open to working in the sector. But many reported that they do not know enough about the sector to consider it seriously, or they perceive other options as more accessible.
32 uniteLANDWORKER Summer 2026
This is not just an issue in the UK; it is a worrying trend across Europe.
Today, the average age of a farmer in the European Union is 57, with only 12 per cent being under 40.
Landworker caught up with two of our FDA reps – Iulian Firea and Istvan Imre – who also represent Unite on committees in pan-European and global food workers’ trade union federations, EFFAT and the IUF. They are particularly concerned about the lack of young people entering the food sector.
Iulian reports that the issue has been raised in EFFAT’s youth committee and he believes poor working conditions is one of the chief reasons young people are not entering the sector.
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