India, Sept. 5 -- India's food security faces a hidden risk: an ageing farming workforce in a young country.

With average farmers aged 50-55 and only a tiny share of rural youth aspiring to farm, intergenerational transfer is weakening.

Low profitability, tiny landholdings and unstable prices push youth to cities, raising doubts about who will grow India's food in coming decades.

India's food-security debate has long focused on a familiar set of questions: How much food are we producing? Are our foodgrain stocks sufficient? Will the monsoon support the next harvest? But there is another question that deserves far greater attention: who will grow India's food in the future?

India is one of the world's youngest major economies, with a m...