Where England stands in Europe

Organic farming in England covers just 3.4% of the country's agricultural land - one of Europe's smallest shares. The government wants that figure to reach 10% by 2036, more than tripling the current area.

• France farms 10.4% of its land organically and aims to increase this to 18% by 2027.
• England's last organic farming plan was published more than two decades ago.
• The government's new plan has been more than three years in the making.

Rob Haward, chief executive of the organic veg box company Riverford, said the gap with France reflected organic farming having political backing in the EU.

What the plan contains

Public procurement – in schools and hospitals, for example – is cited in the plan as a significant opportunity for the sector. The government also holds a long-term ambition for 10% of public sector food spend to meet higher environmental production standards, and says organic producers can help achieve it.

Environment secretary Angela Eagle framed the plan as a way to widen access to organic farming: it supports, in her words, farmers already growing food this way and others weighing whether the approach could suit their businesses.

Sector reaction and funding questions

Industry bodies broadly welcomed the plan, but several pointed to funding as the deciding factor for whether farms can convert.

• Haward said public procurement was "impenetrable" for small organic farms, but hoped the plan would be a "catalyst for growth". He said the sector now needed proper backing from the government, including grant funding.
• In September, thousands of farmers were left empty-handed after the sustainable farming incentive 2026 (SFI) funding was spent in just six hours.
• "SFI needs to be reliable, successful and secure to enable this transition. It's hard for any farm to invest in their business if things change, we need some consistency," Haward said.
• Gareth Morgan, head of farming policy at the Soil Association, said that after many discussions with Defra about funding "there has been a compromise".
• Martin Lines, chief executive of the Nature Friendly Farming Network, called for "real investment from the supply chain and the private sector, along with fairer prices for farmers for their goods and stronger domestic markets".
• The National Farmers' Union called the plan a "really positive step forward … for the wider supply chain".

Morgan was more direct about what the sector needs next: "There is now an urgent need to reopen SFI to enable farms to move to organic farming."

NFU deputy president Paul Tompkins said supporting domestic production would strengthen the resilience of food supply chains and ensure British farmers and growers benefit from opportunities rather than increasing reliance on imports.

Resilience argument for organic farming

The plan links organic farming to food security through this year's conditions on English farms: heat and drought that have destroyed crops, together with fertiliser prices that have soared since the war in Iran began. Organic farms have been found to cope better with these extreme weather conditions, and rising fertiliser costs do not touch them.

"Organic farmers are much less exposed to these risks," said Morgan, who saw the plan as a sign the government was thinking about food security pathways. He also argued a larger organic share could lower prices for consumers, since the price difference would shrink if organic food becomes more mainstream.

The plan now stands with its 2036 target of 10% organic land, while sector bodies press the government to reopen SFI funding so farms can make the transition.