청년농업인의 공동체 의식이 영농지속 의향에 미치는 영향 - 청년농업인 공동체 4-H회를 중심으로

Sense of Community Influencing Intent to Continue Farming for Young Farmers: Focusing on the Young Farmers 4-H Community

This study aims to identify the sense of community influencing Intent to continue farming for young farmers to sustain their farming. Data were was collected from 124 young farmers during October 2023 among members of the 4-H youth organization in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. As a result of factor analysis, the sense of community was classified into three dimensions: sense of belonging, social interaction, and community bond. It was found that the intention to continue farming was classified into two dimensions: economic and social factors. Results showed that participants with less than five years of 4-H involvement had higher community awareness than those with more than five years. This study suggests that early-stage participants be more influenced by group belonging and interaction. Additionally, community awareness positively influenced both economic and social aspects of farming sustainability. Thus, higher community awareness among young farmers enhances the sustainability of their practices. This study is significant as it addresses the previously unexplored relationship between young farmers' community awareness and farming sustainability, suggesting that fostering community awareness can improve sustainable agricultural practices.