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Plant Science Today (PST)

Review Articles

Vol. 13 No. sp5 (2026): Recent Advances in Agriculture

Global perspectives on understanding rural youth engagement in agriculture: A bibliometric analysis

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.14704
Submitted
26 March 2026
Published
28-07-2026

Abstract

The global population faces agricultural challenges due to a decline in the number of farmers, particularly among rural youth. However, youth are a vital human resource for agricultural innovation, sustainability and productivity. This study offers a global overview of research trends in rural youth engagement in agriculture, highlighting science-driven areas such as crop production, sustainable farming and Agri-entrepreneurship, while identifying key gaps in linking plant science innovations to youth-led adoption and entrepreneurship. This research presents a bibliometric study of the global body of literature on rural youth in agriculture, drawing on 210 publications from the Scopus database (1999–2025). The research shows an estimated annual increase in publications of 6.8 %, suggesting growing interest in youth participation in agriculture. India has the most publications, followed by the United States and South Africa. Density and network visualisations reveal significant clusters of research such as socio-economic issues, rural development strategies and demography affecting youth engagement. Overlay analysis reveals an evolution from initial demographic studies to a recent focus on sustainability, livelihoods, migration and employment. This paper draws on theories such as the Push-Pull Theory (PPT) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to understand youth migration and behaviour. The research shows that the availability of credit, institutional support, access to land and technology, market opportunities and negative attitudes towards agriculture are major barriers to youth participation. But recent trends, return migration, access to technology and policies provide opportunities for sectoral rejuvenation. The research suggests that strategies such as policy, innovation and enhanced institutional support play a crucial role in engaging and retaining youth in agriculture, thereby enabling sustainable livelihoods and agricultural development.

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