Drivers and actions that determine the choice of young farmers in Costa Rica to stay on the family farm

Abstract

Succession is essential for the existence and development of family farms and rural areas; however, the generalized aging of farmers is occurring worldwide. The main objective of this research is to analyse the motivations that determine young farmers’ choice to remain on the family farm, and their relation to the Generational Integration Process. Traditionally, succession analysis focuses on how socioeconomic conditions influence the probability of a farm being successfully passed on to the following generation. Other approaches focus on the Generational Integration Process (GIP), which is the ability of distinct generations to relate as a family, with the goal of passing on the farm through specific actions involving the participation of both successors and incumbent. The field work was carried out in Zarcero, a horticultural canton in Costa Rica, where 20 semi-structured interviews were conducted with young famers (under the age of 35). Results indicate that the main reasons for staying on the family farm are related to self-management, a feeling of belonging, and family ties. This study generated a tentative framework to consistently analyse the Generational Integration Process and shows the complex nature of family farm succession by highlighting the multiple links between different motivations.