THE INFLUENCE OF YOUNG PEOPLE’S PROFESSIONAL PROJECTS ON STAYING IN THE COUNTRYSIDE AND FAMILY SUCCESSION

Abstract

To guarantee the continuity of family farming, one must consider essential factors such as the permanence of young people in the
countryside and effective family succession. Succession is often a complex process that involves financial planning, effective communication and adequate preparation of the succeeding and succeeded generations. The Young People’s Professional Project (PPJ), one of the pedagogical mediations of the Agricultural Family Schools (EFAs), seeks to assist in this transition of power because, in addition to contributing to family income, it prepares young people for the future, helping them to take initiative, acquire experience and skills in specific areas. In order to assess the importance of the PPJs as a strategy for staying in the countryside and family succession, an action research was carried out with young people graduating from EFAs in the southern region of Espírito Santo, linked to the Promotional Education Movement of Espírito Santo (Mepes). The survey results show that 99% of the young people indicated that family and their relationships play a fundamental role in the decision of whether or not to remain on the property or even in the activity carried out, as they provide not only emotional support, but also financial resources, knowledge and autonomy. Technical support (39.81%) was also highlighted. The young people expressed a strong desire to remain in the countryside, prioritizing being the successor or manager of the property (55.74%); having a job and income in rural areas (50.82%); acquiring rural property or having a lending contract with the family (41.88%); or working on family property (40.31%), contrary to the conventional idea of migrating to urban areas in search of employment and income (30.05%). These results show that the PPJs are fundamental tools in transforming the realities of the young graduates, allowing them to innovate and maintain a strong connection with their families, valuing young people as agents of transformation, strengthening the rural economy and developing family farming as a whole.