​When I was growing up, I wanted to be a farmer, and I spent a lot of time on my family friends' farm. However, without coming from a family of farmers, I found it difficult to try and break into the industry for a career.

Agriculture remains one of the UK’s vital industries, where it is responsible for not only feeding the nation, but also for powering rural economies and safeguarding the countryside. Yet when we look at who enters this profession, an important pattern emerges. According to data from the Labour Force Survey analysed by the CIPD, nearly 28% of those working in agriculture and related trades are doing the same kind of job as their parents' main occupation when they were 14. In other words, more than a quarter of people in the sector come from families already rooted in agriculture!

This leads to a striking conclusion: a large portion of the industry’s workforce is being ‘inherited’ rather than chosen. While this can help with continuity, expertise and succession (as knowledge and connections are passed down), it also means agricultural careers are far less accessible to people from outside farming families, potentially narrowing the pool of talent and overlooking fresh perspectives.

Why This Matters

When a job appears to favour those who already have the advantage of family connections in that field, it can become harder for others to even consider it. Lack of awareness about agricultural careers, limited access to relevant networks, and the perception that you have to grow up on a farm to work in farming can all act as barriers to entry, especially for people from urban areas or socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This is exactly the kind of social mobility challenge highlighted in the CIPD’s research on occupational inheritance and labour market opportunities.

Filling the Gap: Recruiting Beyond Tradition

So, how do we encourage people not born into agriculture to consider it as a career?

1. Improve career awareness early: Many young people simply don't see agriculture as a viable career option. Schools, colleges and careers services could do more to showcase the modern agricultural sector, emphasising technology, science, business and sustainability roles, not just physical farm work.

2. Expand apprenticeships and entry routes: Structured apprenticeships, traineeships and sponsored placements can open doors for those without farm experience. Data from government research shows that vocational training, can be a powerful lever for increasing opportunity and social mobility - narrowing gaps linked to background disadvantages.

3. Promote inclusive recruitment practices: Employers across all sectors are being encouraged to revisit hiring criteria that may unintentionally favour certain backgrounds (eg overly prescriptive qualifications or reliance on personal networks). Adopting broader skill-based assessment methods and promoting them widely can help attract a more diverse candidate pool.

4. Highlight Hidden Opportunities: Modern agriculture isn't just about tractors and barns. It includes supply chain management, agritech, environmental science, engineers, logistics, marketing and more. Making these less visible roles known could help attract talent with different interests and skills.

Looking Forward…

If the agricultural sector wants to thrive, not just survive, in a rapidly changing world, it needs to appeal to a wider range of people. That means dismantling perception barriers, broadening access to education and training, and demonstrating that great careers in agriculture are open to everyone, regardless of their background. Recruiting beyond tradition won’t just fill vacancies, it will strengthen the industry with fresh ideas, innovation and resilience.