In the hands of the next generation farmers

This master thesis in rural development explores how farmers in Västmanland County experience possibilities and difficulties in a generational succession, and how they envision their future. In order to understand the farmer’s everyday life, I use a phenomenological approach and central concepts such as lifeworld, farming projects, ontological security and the theory of structuration. These are used to interpret the empirical material, to see what the farmers are striving for in their farming, how they handle opportunities and difficulties, and how they create and maintain ontological security. The result shows that an interest in agriculture is the basis for a generational succession, and it is the interest that drives the process of generational succession. The interest for agriculture shapes how the farmers experience possibilities and difficulties, and it helps the farmers to cope with structural transformations. The interviews show factors that can “hold back” their interest, rather than how the interest can be created. All informants have been involved early on in agriculture and have been well supported. Uncertainty has emerged as an influencing factor, and the successors are exposed to this from several sources. The older generation usually determines the pace of the generational succession process, which creates uncertainty among the younger generation and the interest can decrease. A major concern in Västmanland County is the lack of land, which makes several of the informants dependent on their leases, and difficulties of expanding. The land that reaches the market is expensive and requires a lot of capital. It makes it difficult to enter agriculture and to buy out parents and siblings. Important questions are how the uncertainty can be reduced and how the interest can increase for potential farmers, and ensure that they receive support during the process