2024
The agricultural sector in Slovenia, as in many other European countries, faces significant challenges in ensuring the sustainability of farming due to an aging population of farmers. One of the key obstacles is the generational renewal in agriculture, as younger generations often lack the practical experience needed to manage farms successfully. While formal education provides foundational knowledge, it frequently falls short of equipping young farmers with the hands-on skills necessary for the day-to-day operation of farms.
Moreover, experienced farmers possess invaluable tacit knowledge related to local environmental conditions, traditional farming methods, and market relationships, which are not easily acquired through textbooks. Without a structured system for transferring this knowledge, there is a risk of losing key agricultural practices that are vital for maintaining sustainable, efficient, and productive farms.
The Slovenian Managing Authority, under the CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 has developed the Intergenerational Knowledge Transfer intervention that is directly addressed to facilitate the transition of agricultural knowledge between generations. In practice, this intervention offers financial and structural support to encourage experienced farmers to mentor younger successors. The initiative provides an opportunity for young farmers, particularly those entering the sector through family succession, to receive direct mentorship from senior farmers who have been operating their farms for at least a decade.
The solution is multifaceted:
Financial Incentives: Experienced farmers receive financial compensation to act as mentors ensuring that they are motivated to invest time and energy into teaching practical farming techniques. This structured mentorship also focuses on navigating modern challenges such as farm administration, marketing strategies, and compliance with European Union (EU) regulations.
Structured Knowledge Transfer: The program goes beyond informal mentorship by creating a framework where specific knowledge is passed down in a systematic way. Senior farmers demonstrate practical skills, such as soil management, crop rotation, and livestock care, while also helping younger farmers develop business strategies and implement sustainable farming practices.
Business Development Support: The younger generation benefits not only from practical farm management knowledge but also from guidance on how to develop viable, long-term business plans. This aspect ensures that they are prepared to run profitable farms while staying in tune with environmental sustainability goals.
The intervention is operationalized through public calls for tenders directed to experienced farmers who meet the following specific criteria:
Once selected, mentors receive a payment over a three-year period, designed to compensate them for their time and efforts. The payment is disbursed annually, based on the realized transfer of knowledge and submitted report realized transfer knowledge and submitted report of the knowledge transfer process.
The younger farmers are selected through a parallel process, ensuring that the mentors are committed to pursuing farming as a full-time occupation. Knowledge and experience transfer are to be conducted in accordance with a program for the implementation of knowledge and experience transfer activities, which is submitted by the applicant, when they apply for the public call.
The activities described in the plan must:
Throughout the mentorship period, regular meetings, workshops, and on-farm demonstrations are organized. Young farmers and mentors must attend at least one counseling session of the Public Agricultural Advisory Service at the young farmer’s farm during the period of knowledge transfer process.
These events allow for both formal training (such as presentations on sustainable farming technologies) and informal exchanges, where mentors and mentees can discuss real-world challenges and collaboratively develop solutions.
It is considered an adequate transfer of specific knowledge and experience to the young farmer at least 15 hours per month for a total of 324 hours per year.
Replicating Slovenia’s intergenerational knowledge transfer model requires careful attention to both structural and financial elements. Critical steps include:
