Since the 1980s, rural areas of Côte d’Ivoire have seen so-called ‘return to the land’ migration patterns that have largely consisted of young men returning to their paternal villages. By examining the life trajectories of these young people, this article looks at ongoing changes in the elder/youth dynamic in the forest region of mid-western Côte d’Ivoire. By transposing the urban experience to their villages, at times abruptly, these young men also bring new organisational structures intended to enable individuals to be self-sufficient—to ‘eat for themselves’—via a way of living that is very different to that of their elders. However, this process has encountered significant points of resistance that challenge the actual possibilities of these young people attaining self-sufficiency.