The objective of this doctoral dissertation is to look at the factors that determine the decisions of youth and their parents regarding youth occupation and thereby to understand the conditions for integrating youth into family farming. In the context of developing countries, there are increasing concerns that the younger generations may lose interest in farming, since this is likely to threaten global food security in the long-term. The increasing importance of migration and non-farm activities to rural livelihoods in developing countries has raised a scholarly debate about whether smallholder farming holds a potential for the youth in the future at all. However, especially in a Southeast Asian context, there are only very few available studies concerned with understanding the options for and the decisions of youth and their parents regarding youth occupation and farm integration. The present dissertation addresses this research gap by drawing on primary data from a fieldwork in Cambodia. Cambodia is home of smallholder rice-based farming, and the country experiences rapid population growth. There is therefore a huge need to ensure young peoples‟ livelihoods and incomes either through their integration in the labour market, or in smallholder farming.