This year’s Sustainable Farming Incentive offer
In this post, we’ll share details of the expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and links for you to learn more.
I am the Defra lead for development of the Standards that will make up the Sustainable Farming Incentive.
I joined Defra, previously Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) in 1997 as a field officer in Derbyshire advising farmers on the first version of the Countryside Stewardship Scheme and the North Peak Environmentally Sensitive Area. I have since managed the Entry Level Stewardship Scheme and worked on advice programmes such as Catchment Sensitive Farming.
Alongside my career in the MAFF/Defra organisation I have continued to farm with my family in the Peak District. We keep 200 dairy cows and followers on what is best described as ‘challenging’ terrain.
In this post, we’ll share details of the expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and links for you to learn more.
In this episode of the Farming podcast, Jonathan Marsden, Head of Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) talks to Claire Robinson, Senior Countryside Adviser for the National Farmers Union (NFU). The pair discuss what you need to know as a farmer to get ready for SFI this year.
In the latest episode of the Future Farming Podcast, Cambridgeshire farmer Martin Lines and Sustainable Farming Incentive lead Jonathan Marsden talk all things Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and environmental land management.
As a farmer, I am only too aware of the financial pressures which force farmers to make short-term decisions to address an immediate need. This isn’t always ideal for the environment and the sustainability of farming in the longer term. The marketplace is very good at driving the efficient production of high-quality grain, meat, milk and vegetables for today and tomorrow, but less so at rewarding high water quality, great soil or increasing the numbers of birds and insects over time. In this post, I’ll explain how the Sustainable Farming Incentive will start to redress the balance and how it will reward farmers for delivering environmental benefits as well as efficient food production.
This blog is managed by Defra’s Farming and Countryside Programme.
On this blog, we explain the reforms to agricultural policy in England.
We share what we’re working on, what we’re learning and how you can get involved.
We’ve published drafts of an additional 14 SFI endorsed actions. Once we take stakeholder feedback on board, we expect these actions to be available from summer 2025.
GOV.UK is the place to find official guidance and information.
Funding for farmers, growers and land managers sets out every payment on offer with links to learn more.
The Farming Resilience Fund provides free, independent business support to farmers. If you’ve received direct payments since October 2022, you’re eligible.
The Farming Advice Service (FAS) provide free, confidential advice to farmers and advisers.
Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) helps farmers in England protect water, air and soil. CSF advisers can provide advice on best practices and specific SFI actions that will benefit your farm business and the environment.
We’ve compiled a list of organisations offering wellbeing support to those in the farming community.
Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) in England will be replaced with delinked payments in 2024.