Farming roadmap 2050: Growing England’s future

The DEFRA Farming Roadmap 2050 was released on 24 June and sets out a set of policy priorities to transform England’s farming sector into one that is profitable, sustainable and resilient.

A central recommendation is to strengthen farm profitability by ensuring fairer supply chains, improving price transparency and competition, and enabling farmers to diversify income through environmental markets, energy production and other activities. Maintaining strong international trade links while upholding domestic standards is also essential.

The roadmap emphasises boosting productivity through innovation and skills. Government will invest in research, new technologies such as AI and precision farming, and better data systems, while expanding access to training and advice. Closing performance gaps between farms and supporting capital investment are key to improving efficiency and long-term competitiveness.

A major priority is the transition to environmentally sustainable farming systems. Policies focus on scaling up nature-friendly, lower-input practices that improve soil, water and biodiversity while reducing emissions. Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs) and emerging private markets (e.g. carbon credits) will reward farmers for delivering public goods alongside food production.

The roadmap also highlights the need to build resilience. Farmers are encouraged to reduce reliance on volatile inputs, diversify business models, and adopt better risk management strategies to cope with climate change, economic shocks and geopolitical uncertainty. Maintaining domestic food production remains central to national food security.

Government’s role is redefined as a strategic partner, providing long-term policy clarity, fair regulation and targeted funding to de-risk innovation and attract private investment.

Finally, the roadmap stresses the importance of people and rural communities, calling for action to address labour shortages, improve skills and create clear career pathways.  Overall, the recommendations aim to create a market-led farming system supported by government, where profitability, environmental recovery and food production work together to secure the sector’s future.

The main risk is that the transition creates short-term financial strain while long-term benefits (greater resilience, sustainability and productivity) will depend heavily on effective policy delivery, investment and farmer participation which the Government needs to address in detail.

Farming Roadmap 2050: Growing England's Future

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Ashley Smith | Partner in our Farms and Rural Business team | Based in Diss, Ipswich and Norwich