Earlier this year the Government dealt a severe blow to the very existence of small and medium sized farms by their controversial decision in the budget to impose a new inheritance tax regime on farms valued at over £1million. This measure shows a deep misunderstanding by the Government of the unique circumstances that apply to farm holdings.
If you add up the value of a farm including its barns, farmhouse, livestock and machinery the value may well exceed a million pounds; but that’s on paper. If you want to keep the land and produce food the paper figure means nothing. The effect of a 20% tax will mean that small and medium sized farmers will have no choice but to sell up to pay the £200k tax thus potentially taking valuable agricultural land out of our food production system.
Now the Labour Government has moved to put another nail in the coffin for small and medium sized farmers. On 12 March 2025, the Government announced without warning that its flagship nature-friendly farming scheme, the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) for England will no longer accept applications. Since March the Government has not announced any replacement for the SFI scheme.
There has to be a stable system of environmental farming support. It’s no good turning it on and off; it takes years for the benefits of sustainable farming to take effect. Large farm owners may be able to continue some environmental measures, but many farms are small and run on tight budgets. Tenant farmers are especially vulnerable to government policy and they have to account for rent before they pay themselves. A third of all farmland in England is farmed by tenant farmers.
The SFI has encouraged farmers to adopt environmentally friendly practices. Going forward, I fear that the farmers will return to intensive farming and all that goes with it, including the use of more fertilizers, insecticides and more herbicides. Many farmers won’t have the money to carry out environmentally friendly farming, including restoration of hedgerows, soil restoration and the planting of pollinating wildflowers flowers which in turn help the bees pollinate crops. Tree planting, which is essential to climate change, will disappear.
The state of nature, whether within farm boundaries or outside, is in a very poor shape as the 2023 report makes clear: https://nbn.org.uk/news/state-of-nature-2023/.
Why does this matter?
In short, if you want to have a healthy good food supply you need healthy farms. But more than this the long term future of our food supply is linked with our ability to tackle climate change – whether it be droughts, floods or the fast reducing level of pollinators including bees. Farms are in the countryside and co-habit the land with our lakes and rivers. If we want those water sources to be free from pollution we have to have better farming techniques, including sustainable farming.
The use of insecticides, pesticides, and fertilizers can be harmful to nature-friendly farming for several key reasons:
Harm to biodiversity
- Pesticides and insecticides often kill not only the targeted pests but also beneficial insects like bees, butterflies, and ladybugs.
- These chemicals can reduce populations of soil organisms, birds, and other wildlife, disrupting the balance of the ecosystem.
Soil degradation
- Synthetic fertilizers may boost plant growth in the short term, but long-term use can deplete soil nutrients, reduce organic matter, and disrupt soil microbial communities.
- Healthy soil is the foundation of nature-friendly farming, which depends on natural soil fertility and structure.
Water pollution
- Chemicals from fertilizers and pesticides often run off into nearby water bodies, causing:
- Algal blooms that deplete oxygen and kill fish (eutrophication)
- Contaminated drinking water, affecting human and animal health
Chemical resistance
- Pests and weeds can develop resistance over time, requiring stronger or more frequent chemical applications.
- This leads to a vicious cycle that further distances farming from natural pest and nutrient control methods.
Disruption of natural pest control
- Nature-friendly farming relies on predator-prey relationships, companion planting, and crop diversity to manage pests.
- Pesticides disrupt these natural controls, making the system more dependent on chemical inputs.
Human and animal health risks
- Residues from these chemicals can remain on crops and enter the food chain.
- They are linked to health problems in farm workers, consumers, and livestock.
In summary:
Nature-friendly farming aims to work with nature, not against it. It uses ecological principles like biodiversity, soil health, and natural pest control. Insecticides, pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers undermine these principles, leading to long-term harm to the environment, health, and sustainable food systems.
Nature-friendly (often called organic, agroecological, or regenerative) farming in the UK delivers a wide range of environmental, social, and economic benefits:
🌿 1. Boosts biodiversity
- Higher wildlife abundance: Organic farms host around 30% more biodiversity than conventional ones – more insects, birds, earthworms, and soil microbes (Soil Association).
- Successful nature-friendly schemes: Programs in England have seen breeding bird numbers rise by ~25%, alongside increases in butterflies and pollinators (Awe International).
🌱 2. Improves soil health and carbon storage
- Rich, resilient soils: Practices like crop rotation, cover crops, green manures, and minimal tillage build organic matter, enhance structure, and support soil microbiomes (Wikipedia).
- Carbon sequestration: Organic soils can store 3.5 t more CO₂ per hectare on average, helping mitigate climate change (truthpaste).
💧 3. Safeguards water and reduces pollution
- Cleaner rivers and groundwater: By cutting synthetic fertilizer and pesticide use, there’s less runoff, reducing eutrophication risks (Soil Association).
🌧️ 4. Enhances climate adaptation and flood resilience
- Reduced emissions & better rain resilience: Nature-based techniques lower greenhouse gas emissions and improve flood defense, saving an estimated £1.3 billion annually in flood damage (RSPB).
- Greater drought resistance: Organic farms better endure extreme weather by retaining moisture and buffering soil (Wikipedia).
🌍 5. Economic viability and local gains
- Lower input costs: Less reliance on expensive synthetic inputs reduces expenditure on fertilizer, pesticides, heavy machinery, and irrigation .
- Profitable diversity: Farmers embracing agroecological methods have become more profitable—for example, one upland farm shifted from loss-making sheep to hardy cattle, tripling revenue and halving labor (The Times).
- Increased support & market demand: UK grants (e.g. ELMS) promote nature-friendly farming, and organic produce often carries a premium (The Guardian).
🏘️ 6. Benefits for wildlife and communities
- Revival of species: Hedgerows, wildflower margins, and unploughed areas support pollinators, farmland birds (lapwing, owls), and other wildlife (The Guardian).
- Rural revitalisation & eco-tourism: More diverse, wildlife-rich farmland boosts tourism and community well-being—nature contributes around £12 billion annually to outdoor leisure in the UK (RSPB).
🔧 Why It Works
| Principle | Benefits |
| Diversity | Mixed habitats resist disease/pests, support wildlife, and smooth yields (Wikipedia) |
| Natural cycles | Local inputs (manure, green waste) close resource loops and reduce carbon |
| Ecological designs | Wildflower strips, agroforestry, and hedgerows offer pest control and pollination |
In summary
Nature-friendly farming in the UK offers a virtuous cycle:
- Stronger ecosystems → healthier soils & water → wildlife flourish
- Reduced costs + premiums + subsidies → more resilient rural economies
- Better climate adaptation → less flood and drought impact
By blending productivity with conservation, this approach supports thriving farms, vibrant nature, and robust rural communities – for today and future generations.
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