Farm Succession and Sustainable Rural Development: Insights from Future Farmers in Hungary

Abstract

The local agricultural business is an important part of sustainability, as it can influence the stability of rural areas and provide a healthy lifestyle for the community. In Hungary, generational change is a relevant issue, however, its planning is currently not well developed in Hungarian agricultural companies. The present study primarily aims to provide the basis for future factor analysis by identifying the necessary items. In order to achieve this, the possible items influencing the generational change in agricultural businesses are evaluated based on a convenience sample of Győr Moson-Sopron County. The analysis is based on data collected from 14 semi-structured interviews. The results indicate that the majority of the respondents have not yet completed the generational change and that the planning of this process is based on verbal agreements. In terms of policymakers, government incentives were identified by respondents as the most important facilitating factor for generational change. The results of this research could provide a basis for further research that would allow for more in-depth analysis and provide important insights that could help policymakers.