Canadian Youth Moving Away Put Family Farms in Jeopardy

Jun 26, 2012

BMO Survey Reveals Negative Impact from Youth Moving Away from the Family Farm

The negative impact of youth moving away from the family farm is felt whether you live in the city or in the country. The Bank of Montreal released a new report today revealing that Canadians feel that there is a significant negative social-economic impact on the family farm as a result of the disturbing trend of rural youth leaving the farm and moving into urban centers. The survey asked Canadians what they feel are the challenges facing farm operators today.

The survey revealed the following:

• Family farms: 62 per cent saw a negative impact on family farms

• Transfer of Knowledge: 61 per cent believe the migration impacts the ability of farmers to transfer knowledge to the next generation

• Rural Way of Life: 55 per cent believe the move of young people from rural to urban areas has a negative impact on the 'rural way of life'

One would think that this impact would be expressed higher in the rural areas but the study found that the concerns were expressed equally among the rural and urban respondents. The ripple effect of this trend translates into dwindling numbers of young agriculture producers carrying on the tradition of farming. This is problematic as it continues to widen the gap between rural and urban centers leaving a burden on the food system. The survey also reflects similar trends from Statistics Canada’s findings that the total percentage of farmers declined from 9.1 per cent in 2006 to 8.2 per cent last year under the age of 35.

"It is easy enough to take agriculture for granted when you have a grocery store full of food, but to sustain this, we need young people in agriculture. A main area of focus for the Canadian Federation of Agriculture is intergenerational transfers and building long-term profitability into farming operations," said CFA President Ron Bonnett.

Agriculture is unique in the sense that it’s the only industry that touches everyone’s life. This study brings to light an issue that the sector will need to address in order to save the family farm while meeting the demands to produce food for a growing global population.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.