Today, French agriculture faces a well-identified problem: a lack of labor. In the field, farmers must juggle an increasingly heavy workload. Production, administration, marketing, communication, diversification… missions are piling up.
And the tension is only increasing. According to the 2023 BMO survey, more than 57% of recruitment projects in agriculture are considered difficult. This figure concretely illustrates the daily difficulties encountered by farmers.
At the same time, many students are looking for useful, hands-on professional experience. They want to get involved in meaningful projects, often linked to environmental challenges and local dynamics. Yet these two worlds still intersect far too rarely.
Why? Because the bridges remain limited, or even invisible. Above all, agricultural opportunities are rarely designed for profiles from commerce, marketing, digital, or design backgrounds. As a result, many students miss out on a sector that could nevertheless interest them.
Added to this is another fundamental issue: generational renewal. According to a study by the CNRS and the University of Caen Normandy published in June 2024, 53% of farmers will be of retirement age by 2030. This reinforces the urgency of attracting new profiles and creating vocations.
Finally, the image of agriculture among young people still has room for improvement. It is often associated with arduous or low-skilled tasks. However, the reality is quite different. Today’s farms mobilize varied skills: management, communication, digital, direct sales, hospitality, processing… The needs are broad and evolving rapidly.
The observation is simple:
- motivated students in search of meaning
- overwhelmed farmers
- but few mechanisms to connect them effectively
It is in this context that CLARNIE was born, an initiative led by two passionate students.
CLARNIE, a platform to recreate the link between young people and farms
Founded in 2024 by Clara and Marnie, two agronomy engineering students from AgroToulouse, CLARNIE is the result of field immersion. During their farm experiences, they noticed a recurring problem: farmers lack manpower as much as specific skills, and students are often unaware of the opportunities that could enrich their training while helping farmers.
They therefore imagined a simple solution: a matchmaking platform between farmers and students, across all profiles.
CLARNIE allows you to offer or find:
- internships,
- work-study programs,
- seasonal jobs,
- student jobs,
- freelance missions,
- and even initial professionalizing experiences.
The goal is clear: reconnect two worlds that have everything to gain from collaborating.
Benefits for farmers: much more than temporary reinforcement
CLARNIE offers farmers much more than just a recruitment solution.
1. Save time during peak activity periods
During seasonal peak periods—harvesting, maintenance, market preparation—students can provide immediate operational support.
2. Access skills that are difficult to find locally
Communication, web design, photography, website creation, management, events…
So many needs that are often unmet in rural areas.
3. Accelerate farm diversification
Developing an agritourism project, launching an educational activity, structuring direct sales, or organizing open days…
Students can play a driving role in these structural projects.
4. Break professional isolation
The presence of a young person on the farm creates a dynamic, brings new ideas, and contributes to a valuable intergenerational exchange.
Advantages for students: concrete and useful experiences
CLARNIE also meets the expectations of young people who wish to engage in useful projects.
1. A job with real impact
Participating in the life of a farm means contributing to an essential sector and discovering the reality of food and environmental issues.
2. An experience aligned with their training
Marketing, management, design, digital, tourism, agriculture… the proposed missions allow for a direct application of acquired knowledge.
3. Discovery of a strategic sector
Agriculture is a pillar of the ecological transition. Understanding how it works becomes an undeniable asset for future careers.
4. A gateway to a long-term trajectory
Certain experiences lead to vocations: farm installation, consulting, working in a cooperative, or AgTech innovation.
A strategic issue for agricultural cooperatives
For cooperatives, the question of labor goes far beyond the issue of recruitment. It affects the sustainability of farms and farm succession.
When a farmer cannot find reinforcement:
- they postpone investments,
- abandon projects,
- limit diversification,
- slow down their digital or commercial development.
Ultimately, this weakens the attractiveness of the farm and complicates its transfer, in a context where more than one in two farmers is approaching retirement.
CLARNIE acts precisely upstream:
- by facilitating the entry of young people into the sector
- by increasing field experiences
- by improving the perception of agricultural professions
- by sparking vocations
This is why several cooperatives have already chosen to rely on CLARNIE: the tool meets a strategic need and no longer just an operational one.
Reconnect to better prepare the future of the agricultural world
CLARNIE offers a modern, agile, and human response to a structural challenge: attracting, supporting, and retaining the new generation within agriculture.
By reconnecting students and farmers, the platform contributes to strengthening farms, boosting local territories, and supporting the essential renewal of the industry.
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