The future of family farming in Israel: the second generation in the Moshav

The Moshav, a family farm-based settlement, has been a prime example of the major changes in the rural space in Israel. The aim of this paper is to present and understand these changes by studying the economic characteristics of second-generation – that is relatively younger – households in the Moshav. This group has shown a higher tendency to either adopt a livelihood strategy of pluriactivity, or to disassociate itself from agriculture in favour of non-agricultural income-generating activities, both inside and outside the settlement. Both trends have emerged in response to the increasing difficulty of deriving income from agriculture. The paper identifies the major patterns of economic activity and income sources among this group and assesses future attitudes towards operating the farm, choosing pluriactivity as a livelihood strategy, and remaining on the farm in the future.