The EU has launched a new Strategy for Generational Renewal in Agriculture to help young people access farmland — a major barrier for new farmers across Europe. Farmland is often expensive, limited and tied up in complex inheritance systems, leaving many young farmers dependent on short-term leases that make long-term planning difficult. A recent EU CAP Network study highlights successful approaches already used in several countries, such as land banks, matching platforms, early succession schemes, financial guarantees and cooperative models that make land more accessible. Building on these practices, the new EU strategy introduces measures including a European Land Observatory, national reforms for earlier farm succession, longer leases and improved taxation, along with targeted investment tools under the post-2027 CAP. The initiative aims to secure Europe’s food supply, revitalise rural communities and ensure farmland passes to a new generation committed to sustainable agriculture.

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