Challenges and opportunities for young farmers in the implementation of the Rural Development Program 2014-2020 of the Republic of Croatia

Today, all sectors of the economy are confronted with the problem of demographic renewal. The low number of young farmers and the lack of development opportunities for them pose major challenges for the agricultural sector. This study focuses on the Rural Development Program (RDP) 2014-2020 of the Republic of Croatia, which provided many opportunities for young farmers through its measures. The study is based on a qualitative approach that includes two research methods to identify the benefits and limitations of the RDP measures as well as the challenges that Croatian young farmers still face after the implementation of the Program. The first involved the descriptive analysis of secondary data, while the second was based on the collection of primary data using the interview method. Eight semi-structured interviews (N = 8) were conducted with farmers aged 18-41 years in all four Croatian NUTS2 regions. In almost all 20 Croatian counties, the number of young farm owners has increased and the level of education acquired has also increased accordingly, with a decrease in the number of uneducated and those with only primary education and the largest increase in those with secondary education. The interviews revealed that all respondents see similar benefits in continuing farming as a profession: they are their own boss and have strong work motivation and job satisfaction. However, they also mention similar problems that persist: financial insecurity, insufficient labor, high dependence on climate change, and problems related to land.