Youth Aspirations and Attitudes Toward Agriculture

This chapter, based on qualitative research, explores youth aspirations and attitudes toward agriculture in the context of smallholder rainfed cultivation in a high-migration region of Odisha. It finds that despite harsh structural realities of farming being adversely impacted by climate variability, water scarcity, increasing input costs, and declining agricultural profits, young people value agriculture for the food security it provides. Farming is not just an activity but is considered an occupational, social, and cultural identity, despite monetary income from farming being meager in comparison to income from remittances or local non-farm incomes. Young people value land, and those with land consider themselves fortunate and committed to cultivation. Even if they migrate, young people remain involved in agriculture. Migration does not supplement agriculture; instead, it complements agriculture. Male youth migration has led to an increase in women’s work in farming; in the absence of men, young women have a heavier workload and take on more farm tasks, including farm management. Among youth migrants across social classes, the desire to remain in the village, or eventually return to the village, is very strong. For young migrants, including highly educated migrants and those earning comfortable incomes in destination regions, the imagination of their future remains tied to the village, closely linked with agriculture. At the same time, youth cultures of temporary migration are widespread—a rite of passage, particularly for those who are less educated—due to an aversion to agriculture at a young age, and the lack of employment options in source regions.