What will rural population ageing mean?
Population ageing in rural areas will be a powerful force for change. It will have major implications for agricultural production, food security, health services, labour markets and the process of development itself. It will also, without a doubt, affect social organization and production patterns. And families, the basic structural unit of rural societies, will experience rapid and significant demographic change, in many cases leading to reduced family support for older persons. Because of the speed with which rural ageing is expected to take place, the need for developing countries to make decisions, put policies in place and take concrete steps to prepare is urgent. Some changes may seem to be fairly obvious; others may be less so. · If possible, older farmers will very likely change to crops that are less labour intensive. · Family livelihood strategies (saving and investment) may become more conservative and subsistence-oriented. · Older farmers, especially poor ones, may be less
