The Farming Profitability Review (FPR) sets out a vision for a more profitable, sustainable farming sector that benefits society as a whole. Chaired by Baroness Minette Batters and supported by Defra, the six-month review engaged farmers, growers’ representative bodies, and supply-chain organisations, calling for urgent reforms to protect domestic food production, strengthen rural economies, and ensure farms remain both resilient and profitable.
Farming in England is a vital part of the economy. In 2024 it directly supported over 400,000 jobs and contributed £10.5 billion to GDP, while underpinning a £150 billion supply chain and supporting 4.2 million jobs across manufacturing, retail, and catering – roughly 13% of all employment in Great Britain. Yet rising costs, policy uncertainty, and post-Brexit changes are putting this sector under severe pressure.
Domestic food production is also declining. In 2024, UK farms supplied just 65% of the nation’s food, down from 78% in 1984. The review highlights the need for a distinctly British approach, noting that while “we’ve left the EU, the UK must establish and embed its own principles and values to achieve a thriving farming sector and rural economy in England.”
Setting the Course for the Future of UK Farming
The FPR aims to establish a new approach to farming policy and practice – developing the foundation for a 25-year Farming Roadmap, designed to improve farm profitability while delivering government priorities and benefiting taxpayers and consumers.
57 recommendations within the FPR aim to strengthen the resilience and viability of farm businesses. They are intended to inform key initiatives, including:
- The Food Strategy;
- The Farming Roadmap; and
- The Land Use Framework.
The Farming Roadmap itself is expected in early 2026 and will outline the long-term direction for farming in England, using the review’s recommendations to shape policy and guide implementation over the coming decades.
Strengthening Farming for the Future
Farmers in England are facing rising costs, with input prices expected to be 30% higher in 2026 than in 2020. Meanwhile, the Farming Budget has barely changed since 2007, even as energy bills, wages, National Insurance, inheritance tax proposals, and new machinery costs (up 31%) pile on pressure. The FPR warns that current economic models are no longer fit for purpose and calls for a policy framework that balances food production with environmental goals.
To give farmers a stronger voice in shaping that future, the Secretary of State, Emma Reynolds, has announced a new Farming and Food Partnership Board, co-led by Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle. Bringing together leaders from farming, food, retail, finance, and government, the board will guide policy, unlock investment, and tackle sector challenges – from boosting domestic food production and creating tailored growth plans for horticulture and poultry, to attracting private finance for farm transformation, productivity, and nature initiatives.
Key Principles
The FPR is guided by principles designed to boost farm profitability and food security:
- Grow the British brand at home and abroad through a national FARM partnership;
- Increase farm incomes from nature and environmental markets, supported by mandatory TNFD reporting;
- Raise productivity through skills, advice, research, innovation, and standardised metrics;
- Embed the “Active Farmer” principle, linking food security and resilience to farming schemes;
- Ensure fairness and transparency across supply chains; and
- Provide financial certainty via planning reforms and improved access to on-farm investment.
Summary of recommendations
The review makes 57 wide-ranging recommendations aimed at boosting the profitability and resilience of UK farming. Key proposals include better recognition of the value of farming to the economy, initiatives to improve soil health and biodiversity, measures to ensure fairer supply chains, and efforts to support farmers with skills, finance, and infrastructure. It also emphasises strengthening British branding, promoting exports, and streamlining regulation to reduce costs and bureaucracy.
Among its 57 recommendations:
- National Plan for Farming: A cross-government strategy to align food production, trade and environmental goals.
- Great British FARM Advisory Board: A new body to coordinate sector missions, boost British sourcing and grow exports by 30% by 2030.
- SOILSHOT+NATURE Fund: A transformation scheme to improve soil health and resilience, backed by private green finance.
- Mandate nature-related financial disclosures (TNFD) for corporates to unlock investment in natural capital.
- Supply Chain Fairness: Extend the Groceries Supply Code of Practice to out-of-home markets and enshrine fair dealing in law.
- Boost British Branding: Improve origin labelling and champion local food culture through “Food and Drink England”.
- Skills and Labour: Include agriculture in STEM education, establish Agri-Growth Hubs, and extend seasonal worker visas to nine months.
- Tax and Finance Reform: Introduce soft loans for new entrants, review capital allowances, and incentivise long-term tenancies.
Vision
The FPR aims to help farms produce, grow, and sell more profitably while building resilience and supporting nature and biodiversity. It promotes measuring farming’s true economic value, expanding markets, scaling sustainable proteins, and linking food production to national, regional, and local planning. Key goals include clearer policy, fairer supply chains, higher demand for British produce, upskilling, streamlined advice and research, stable funding, and stronger industry-government partnerships.
Next Steps
Defra and industry will track progress every six months, with a full review planned in 18 months. The report stresses that the challenge extends beyond farm productivity – it is about securing the UK’s food future. The recommendations provide the foundation for launching the 25 year Farming Roadmap, with regular assessments to ensure government and industry stay on course.