How tech entrepreneurs are hoping to attract a new generation of farmers in France
France is facing a farming crisis. Half of the country’s farmers are older than 50; when they retire, there will be 160,000 farms in need of new stewards. The country is sometimes known as Western Europe’s breadbasket, so it’s a serious dilemma for the entire region. French technology billionaire Xavier Niel is trying to attract a new generation of farmers to the business by making agriculture “sexy,” writes The New York Times. Niel is the main backer of a new high-tech agricultural campus that trains young people, mainly from urban and disadvantaged communities, how to be farmers and tech entrepreneurs. The goal isn’t just to use technology to make farming seem cool, it’s also to help farmers make an easier living. Many French farmers live in poverty though they work grueling hours. Changing that could make the profession more appealing.
