Rural youth: a perspective of agricultural labor from their protagonists

Abstract

To carry out this work, interviews were conducted with young people from the south of the State of Mexico. The labor trajectories of the individuals were constructed, with emphasis on the limitations and motivations that led them to carry out agricultural activities. The objective was to evidence the milestones that marked a turning point in their labor trajectory that culminated in the realization of an agricultural activity. This research contains four sections explaining concepts such as rural youth, family agriculture, illustrating the link between youth and agriculture, as well it discusses the challenges and opportunities of this population group in agricultural work. The main results show two aspects that limit youth participation in agriculture: land tenure and a rupture in the generational relay. The conclusion revolves around debating the agency capacity of rural youth in choosing livelihood strategies via new technologies and removing the stigmas of agricultural work.