Social Capital and Sustainable Development in Rural Areas with Declining Populations: The Case of Young Farmers

The present study explores social capital in relation to sustainable development in rural areas experiencing population decline, focusing on the mediating role of young farmers. Specifically, it examines bonding, bridging, and linking capital to determine whether young farmers can halt demographic decline, enhance regional attractiveness, and contribute to sustainable development. For this purpose, qualitative research was conducted using semi-structured interviews with twenty-four young farmers across twelve municipalities in Greece experiencing the highest population decline. Findings indicate that young farmers in these areas have strongly developed and leveraged bonding capital which reinforces their position within the family, social and kinship networks. However, bridging and linking capital remain weak and problematic, complicating the efforts to deal with migration tensions and to create conditions for sustainable development. Policy adjustments are necessary to foster bridging and linking capital.