Future Harvest: New European Program Supports the Next Generation of Farmers

EIT Food and the PepsiCo Foundation launch Future Harvest, a new European initiative designed to strengthen generational renewal in farming, support young farmers, and build a more resilient and sustainable food system across Europe.

Europe’s agricultural sector is facing a growing demographic challenge.

As the average age of farmers continues to rise, fewer young people are entering the profession, creating concerns about the long-term resilience of food production, rural communities, and agricultural innovation. To address this challenge, EIT Food and the PepsiCo Foundation have launched Future Harvest, a new European program aimed at supporting young and next-generation farmers with the skills, knowledge, and networks needed to succeed in modern agriculture.

A Growing Generational Gap in European Agriculture

According to European Commission and Eurostat data, only around 11–12% of farm managers in Europe are under the age of 40. At the same time, farmers are navigating increasing pressures from climate change, rising production costs, market volatility, and changing consumer expectations. These challenges are particularly significant for small and medium-sized farms, which play a critical role in maintaining rural livelihoods and food security. The issue of generational renewal has become a strategic priority for the European Union, with policymakers recognizing that attracting and retaining young farmers is essential for ensuring a competitive, innovative, and sustainable agricultural sector in the coming decades.

What Is Future Harvest?

Future Harvest is a Europe-wide program funded by the PepsiCo Foundation and implemented by EIT Food in collaboration with local partners. During 2026, the initiative is expected to engage approximately 900 young and next-generation farmers across France, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, and Türkiye.

The program combines online learning with practical farm-based experiences, allowing participants to gain valuable knowledge that can be directly applied to their farming operations. Training areas include:

• Regenerative and climate-resilient agriculture

• Digital farming technologies and agritech solutions

• Farm business management

• Entrepreneurship and leadership development

• Financial planning and decision-making

Participants will also benefit from mentoring, peer-to-peer learning, field visits, farm clinics, and networking opportunities through the Future Harvest FarmHub.

Building More Resilient Farming Businesses

A key objective of Future Harvest is to help young farmers improve the viability and resilience of their businesses while adapting to environmental and economic challenges. By providing access to innovation ecosystems, practical expertise, and modern agricultural tools, the program seeks to empower participants to implement sustainable solutions on their farms and strengthen their long-term competitiveness.

The initiative aligns closely with broader European efforts to support generational renewal in agriculture, including recent EU strategies aimed at improving access to land, finance, skills development, innovation, and rural opportunities for young farmers.

Why Generational Renewal Matters

Generational renewal is increasingly viewed as one of the most important factors shaping the future of European agriculture. Without sufficient support for new entrants, the sector risks losing critical knowledge, innovation capacity, and productive farmland.

Young farmers are often more likely to adopt new technologies, implement sustainable practices, and explore innovative business models that can improve both profitability and environmental performance.

By investing in young farmers today, initiatives such as Future Harvest aim to ensure that Europe’s food systems remain productive, resilient, and capable of meeting future sustainability and food security challenges.

Looking Ahead

As Future Harvest begins implementation across participating countries, it represents a significant step toward strengthening the next generation of agricultural leaders. By combining education, innovation, mentorship, and practical experience, the program offers a comprehensive approach to supporting young farmers and encouraging long-term renewal across Europe’s farming sector.

The role of Agriventures in supporting agrifood innovation

As the agritech startup ecosystem grows across Europe, initiatives such as Agriventures are helping connect entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, and policymakers working in agriculture and food innovation.

Agriventures focuses on supporting agrifood startups, biotechnology innovation, and access to European funding for agriculture, while also helping entrepreneurs navigate the complex landscape of startup financing, venture capital, and research commercialization.

By strengthening connections between startups, research institutions, investors, and farmers, Agriventures contributes to building a stronger agricultural innovation ecosystem that can accelerate the transition toward sustainable agriculture and resilient food systems.

Through knowledge sharing, events, and ecosystem building, Agriventures helps ensure that promising agritech innovations can scale and reach farmers, food producers, and global markets.