Europe wakes up to higher fuel prices and an aging farm population

Financial worries caused by this year’s spiralling fuel prices are just one of the worries that Europe’s agricultural sector faces. For many, an even bigger problem is on the horizon: who’s going to take over the business? 

by NORMAN DUNN

By mid-March farmers here in Europe were learning fast that the apparently far-off Arab uprisings, particularly the one on Libya, were nearer to home after all. Spring cultivations and sowing suddenly became much more expensive as fuel prices shot up.

Better Farming - May 2011