Oxford Farming Conference 2026 - Funding & SFI Update

The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Emma Reynolds, delivered an important update at the Oxford Farming Conference, outlining new measures and funding opportunities designed to support farmers and strengthen the agricultural sector.

This comes following the recent announcement of increasing the inheritance tax relief for family farms, with the Agricultural and Business Property Relief threshold increasing from £1 million to £2.5 million per person, meaning couples can pass on up to £5 million tax-free.

The Key Headline Announcements Were as Follows:

Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI)

• SFI 2026 is expected to be launched between June and September. Initially, the scheme will be rolled out in June for small farms and those without existing Environmental Land Management (ELM) agreements, before becoming available to all farmers in September.
• The revised SFI will be simpler and more focused, with potentially fewer options, reviewed payment rates, and whole agreement value caps. There may also be limits on how much land can be allocated to actions that take land out of productivity, ensuring a balance between environmental goals and food production. We are yet to see detail on how SFI 2026 will compare to the previous SFI 2024 offering.
• Defra has committed not to close SFI without warning, instead publishing updates relating to any planned future closures.

Farmer Collaboration Fund

• To encourage collaboration and knowledge-sharing, a new Farmer Collaboration Fund of £30 million will be invested over three years. This funding will support farmer-led groups and activities such as farm visits, expert talks, and on-farm trials. This is planned to be a replacement of the Countryside Stewardship Facilitation Fund (CSFF).

Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL)

• The Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) scheme will also be extended for 3 years, backed by £30 million in funding. This initiative has already delivered thousands of biodiversity and community projects and will continue to provide opportunities for farmers working in protected areas (national landscapes or parks).

Looking further ahead, a 25-year Farming Roadmap will be introduced later this year, developed from recommendations outlined in the independent review into farming profitability by Baroness Minette Batters, and through workshops with farmers and stakeholders.

Additionally, a new Farming and Food Partnership Board that brings together government, farming and all stakeholders in the agri-food system will also be established, being chaired by Emma Reynolds and Angela Eagle, the Farming Minister.

We will continue to monitor developments and share updates as they become available. If you’d like to discuss opportunities, please get in touch here.