The Aging Agricultural Workforce: Opportunities for Policy Development and Intervention

At a population level, aging stems from developments that have extended longevity and well-being through economic opportunity, increased sanitation, nutrition, and access to care, coupled with changes in birth trends. How persons grow older and the implications of those changes are particularly important and complex issues for rural communities and the agricultural workforce. Although much of the agricultural production in the United States occurs in rural contexts, agriculture and rurality are not synonymous between population aging and not all rural residents are engaged in agricultural production. Still, for those familiar with rural communities, the intersection between population aging and agricultural producers appears every morning at the local coffee shop or cafe.