RESEARCH ON THE ATTITUDE OF YOUNG PEOPLE REGARDING THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF AGRICULTURE: A CASE STUDY OF SERBIA

Abstract

Agriculture plays a crucial role in any economy. However, agricultural work is often regarded as unpopular, dirty and lacking prestige. As a consequence, young people frequently migrate from rural to urban areas in search of alternative activities. This study addresses the challenge of integrating youth into the agricultural workforce. The objective is to assess the reasons behind youth’s (un) willingness to engage in agricultural work, using Serbia as a case study. Data were collected through a questionnaire and 308 responses were analyzed with the help of Binary Logistic Regression. The findings indicate that the attitude of young individuals to engage in agricultural work is significantly shaped by area of residence, family involvement, ownership of rural property, the economic viability of the agricultural sector and concerns about long-term employment stability. A few positive and negative stereotypes were also identified. The findings underscore the imperative to attract young people to work in agriculture.