Exploring demographic influences on perceptions of agricultural entrepreneurship as a career choice among Lao youth

Abstract

ABSTRACT Youth participation in agricultural entrepreneurship (agripreneurship) is vital to the sustainable and inclusive modernisation of agrarian societies. We analysed relationships between demographic factors and motivational antecedents of intention to practise small and medium-scale agripreneurship using survey data collected from undergraduate students in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Gender significantly influenced attitudes, family occupational background influenced subjective norms, and place of origin influenced perceived behavioural control: three constructs hypothesised to drive intention according to the theory of planned behaviour. Although students with commercial agriculture/agribusiness family occupational backgrounds were found to have a greater intention to practise agripreneurship than students without, students with subsistence farming family occupational backgrounds were not. Commercialisation of agriculture in Laos therefore requires better engagement of youth from subsistence farming households, as this group has the most to contribute and is at the greatest risk of missing the benefits of modernisation.