Skip to main content

How we designed the Sustainable Farming Incentive Standards 

Mid Devon District, England, United Kingdom

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. 

Further funding for farmers, foresters and growers to innovate

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Payments for research and innovation
Gap in a hedgerow with sheep in background. Hartlip, Kent.

The Farming Innovation Programme provides research and development funding to farmers and growers who want to develop and use new, innovative methods and technologies.  The aim of the fund is to support farmers to become more productive, environmentally sustainable and resilient to the global food security challenges of the future. You might remember that alongside UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) we launched the first rounds of funding in October, and 2 more in March. In this post, I’ll share information about our latest funding opportunity: the Research Starter Projects Competition.

Farming Investment Fund: a new grant

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Payments for equipment, technology and infrastructure
Silverton Farmland

Before we launched Improving Farm Productivity in January, we made the manual available for people to look at on GOV.UK. Feedback suggested you found this helpful. So, ahead of its launch in June, we are making the manual for the next theme available today: Adding Value. In June, you can apply for a grant for buildings, machinery or equipment so that producers can add value to eligible agricultural products after they are harvested or reared.

The UK Agriculture Partnership: reflections on the first meeting

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Farming across the UK
Grazing marshes/dyke Halvergate Marshes

Even though agricultural policy in the UK is devolved, each country in the union can benefit by working together. The UK Agriculture Partnership is a forum which meets to share technical information on common challenges. The subject of our first meeting was water quality. Our aim was to understand the nature and scale of the challenges, and how we could address them together. In this post, we share some insights from our first meeting and a link to a video of the event.

Video Diary: Farmer Jess Brooks on the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot

The Brooks Family joined the pilot to help us improve the Sustainable Farming Incentive. For over a century, the family has worked on South Thorness Farm, which is found on the north-west coast of the Isle of Wight, within the Hamstead Heritage Coast Area Of Natural Beauty. Listen to how sisters Jess and Sarah, along with their parents Adrian and Joyce, run through the management of their farm and their decision to join the pilot.