Plan unveiled to increase share of land farmed organically in England to 10%

Government sets ambition to increase share of land farmed organically in England to 10% by 2036

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The UK government has unveiled a plan to increase the share of land farmed organically in England to 10% by 2036, according to The Guardian — Environment.

Currently, just 3.4% of England's agricultural land is farmed organically, one of the smallest shares in Europe, with France farming 10.4% of its land organically and aiming to increase this to 18% by 2027.

The government's new plan sets out a vision for growth in the organic sector, with public procurement cited as a significant opportunity, and states that the organic sector can play a vital role in achieving the government's long-term ambition for 10% of public sector food spend to meet higher environmental production standards.

The environment secretary, Angela Eagle, said the plan was about 'opening up opportunities across the sector, from backing farmers already producing organic food to helping others decide whether it could work for their businesses'.

However, concerns remain over how the transition will be funded, with the chief executive of organic veg box company Riverford, Rob Haward, saying that public procurement is 'impenetrable' for small organic farms and that the sector now needs proper backing from the government, including grant funding.

Haward also expressed concerns over the government's sustainable farming incentive 2026 (SFI) funding, which was spent in just six hours in September, leaving some farmers empty-handed and potentially missing out on the opportunity to transition to organic farming.