The blog “Old Roots, New Leaves” summarises the aspirations of youth expressed at the first regional workshop on Youth, Land and Commons, held in Bengaluru on May 30–31, 2025, as part of the India Land Development Conference series. The workshop featured four dedicated panels on this theme. Drawing from field research in the Papagni basin, the blog explored youth aspirations, their disconnect from the commons governance, and the urgent need for inclusive governance. Its insights complemented workshop discussions on restoring intergenerational links, nurturing ecological stewardship, and building dignified rural livelihoods. Practical approaches like Wisdom Walks and Seasonal Walk.
Photo: Wisdom walk PC Naveen Kumar Reddy
A large proportion of India’s entire demographic landscape constitute youth. Almost 70% of these youth reside in rural areas. Rural India, however, is challenged with agrarian crisis, unemployment, push migration and climatic uncertainty, which are compelling youth away from villages in pursuit of improved prospects. This withdrawal is not only redefining rural economy but also jeopardizing the sustainable management of common natural resources such as forests, grazing lands, water bodies, and even traditional knowledge systems that is crucial for rural livelihoods.
The connection between youth and commons is increasingly dwindling with changing aspirations of youth. Including youth in governance of commons and strengthening their capacity for collective management of resources becomes imperative, not only for environmental sustainability but for envisaging resilient and equitable rural economies.
Who are the rural youth?
"Youth" is a dynamic concept shaped by multiple contexts- geographic, political, social, and cultural. The Government of India's National Youth Policy (2014) has defined youth as people aged 15-29. Based on the 2011 Census, youth comprise 27.5% of the population, with rural youth being the majority. About 28 million youth enter the workforce every year. Their aspirations, however, are quickly diverging from traditional rural ways of making a living.
Photo: Season watch by PC V Prasanna Latha.
The fading of farming dreams
Agriculture is becoming less appealing to rural youth. Research indicates that more than 2,000 farmers abandon farming every day and over 40% of farmers who continue to do so would abandon it if given the chance (NSSO, 2005). The reasons are as varied as income insecurity and climate risk to low status perceived about agriculture. Rural-urban difference in infrastructure, health, and education further accelerates the shift.
A recent study conducted in the Papagni river basin covering Chikkaballapur district in Karnataka and Annamaya and Sri Sathya Sai district of Andhra Pradesh explored the role of youth in commons governance. It examined their awareness, participation, and motivations. Of the 70 youth surveyed, only a small fraction aspired to pursue agriculture or livestock-based livelihoods, despite a significant percentage of their families still depending on these sectors.
Most youth male (52%) as well as female (50%) aspire for service based livelihoods, a trend of youth wanting to move from rural to urban areas. Male respondents highlighted that working in agriculture might affect their marriage prospects, as they perceive urban jobs, even low-paying ones as more socially favorable.
The study observes that both young men and women view farming as a low-return, high-risk and lower dignified career. Approximately 70% of males and 67% of females listed the high risk of farming as a discouragement. Low and irregular incomes were listed by 65% of the males and 54% of the females. Lack of resources, low social status for farmers, and even discouragement from parents also figured among the reasons.
Notably, the attraction of urban life was not the major driver of migration. Instead, it is the rural livelihood push due to unstable income, climate risks, and lack of dignity that influence the aspiration of the youth in the rural space. These results conflict with the conventional assumption that youth are "attracted" to cities by improved ways of living. If rural livelihoods could be strengthened and become more satisfying, many young people might well remain.
The missing link: youth and commons governance
Commons are community managed natural resources like forests, grazing lands, tanks, and even traditional knowledge are important to the support of rural livelihoods. However, when the older generation retires, young people are not aspiring to take their place. Our research discovered that 46% of young women and 24% of young men were not aware of common lands in their village. Just 20% of men and 25% of women said they were "very familiar."
This disconnection is alarming. Commons are not merely environmental resources; they are social commons that provide livelihoods, security, and cultural continuity. When youth disconnect from commons, the governance systems that have maintained these resources for generations start to break down, threatening overuse, encroachment, or state appropriation.
Why inclusion matters?
Involving youth in commons management is no longer optional but it is essential. When young people know, appreciate, and engage in the management of their natural resources, they not only develop stronger local institutions but also acquire leadership, negotiation, and environmental management skills. Youth engagement can also result in more representative governance mechanisms that respond to modern challenges.
This engagement has to transcend tokenism. It calls for systemic change to Increase young people's awareness of local commons and their significance, develop capacities in ecological understanding, monitoring of resources, and conflict resolution. It is important to identify various aspirations ranging from entrepreneurship to ecological rejuvenation and technology and align them with sustainable rural livelihoods.
Engaging youth: methods and practices
The future of rural India would be based on how well we can close the gap between youth aspirations and rural sustainability. We at the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) organise Wisdom Walk a space for intergenerational knowledge transfer, where elders and the youth walk around their common land or with the shepherd community to understand palatable species or ethno-veterinary practices, or walk with honey collectors, traditional medicinal practitioners, or attend village institution meetings to understand commons governance. Seasonal Watch is another tool where a child chooses a tree species and observes it throughout the year across the seasons to document the changes like flowering and fruiting. Bird Watch is another space that helps bring elders and the youth together to understand the importance of birds in their lives and livelihoods.
Apart from this, we involve rural youth in the assessment of their common land, which helps in building ownership. It is also important to document traditional knowledge around plants, local medicines, cuisine, and other practices to ensure this knowledge is preserved.
Finally, as the saying goes, old roots and new leaves make the tree beautiful. The elder generation are the old roots, and youth are the new leaves in the system. Bringing both together and providing space for interaction will build a promising future. The younger generation are the future stewards of common resources, bringing innovation in protection and governance. They will play a major role in bridging knowledge across generations through technology.
Author Seema Shastri works with the Foundation for Ecological Security for Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh states. She was a panellist in the session on Youth and Inclusive Land Governance at the first regional workshop on Youth, Land and Commons held in Bengaluru in May 2025.
Reference and bibliography:
Okada, A. (2012). Skills development for youth in India: Challenges and opportunities. Journal of International Cooperation in Education, 15(2), 169-193.
Sainath, P. 2013. Over 2,000 fewer farmers every day. The Hindu. 2 May, 2013.
Bennell, P. (2007). Promoting livelihood opportunities for rural youth. IFAD Governing Council Roundtable: Generating Remunerative Livelihood Opportunities for Rural Youth. UK: Knowledge and Skills for Development.
ILO. 2005. Youth: Pathways to Decent Work: Promoting Youth Employment, International Labour Organization.
NYP. 2014. National Youth Policy. Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Govt. of India. Pacific Agricultural and Forestry Network (PAFNET).
Shukla, R. 2010. Indian youth demographics and readershipresults from national youth readership survey. National
Book Trust and NCERT, New Delhi, India.
NSSO. 2013. Employment trends in India, Labor and employment. NSS Report on Employment & Unemployment Situation in India & Informal Sector 2011- 12 (68th Round).
Rani, A., & Roy, P. (2017). Youth in agriculture: Role of government initiatives. Journal of Agricultural Extension, 18(2), 167-175.
Sharma, A. (2007). The changing agricultural demography of India: evidence from a rural youth perception survey. International Journal of Rural Management, 3(1), 27-41.
Swaminathan, M.S., 2001. “Shaping our agricultural future”. The Hindu, Thursday, January 11, 2001.
Chandra, S. 2006. ‘The Shape of Indian Agriculture: Present Scenario and the Way Ahead’, paper presented at 5th IWMI-Tata Annual Partners’ Meet at IRMA, Anand, Gujarat.
Speare, A. Jr. 1974. Urbanization and Migration in Taiwan. Economic Development and Cultural Change, 22 (2).
Trivelli, C., & Morel, J. (2021). Rural youth inclusion, empowerment, and participation. The Journal of Development Studies, 57(4), 635-649.
Youth Labour Market Statistics (YouthSTATS database) https://ilostat.ilo.org/methods/concepts-and-definitions/description-youth-labour-market-statistics/#:~:text=time%20and%20earnings.-,Concepts%20and%20definitions,aged%20between%2015%20and%2029
