Farmers across England are expressing deep concern that they will no longer be able to afford nature restoration or reduce their carbon footprint after the government froze funding for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI).
The environment secretary, Steve Reed, recently announced that the SFI, which compensates farmers for dedicating portions of their land to support nature, would be paused and reviewed ahead of June’s spending review. The scheme’s budget and scope are currently under reassessment.
Part of a wider payment program that replaced the EU’s common agricultural policy, the SFI was designed to reward farmers for maintaining healthy ecosystems, improving soil, and providing public goods—not just for farming or owning land. One proposal under consideration is to restrict access to the scheme for higher-earning farmers, a move many fear could discourage wider participation in environmentally friendly practices.
In England, where 70% of land is agricultural, farmers play a vital role in restoring biodiversity. Practices such as planting trees and hedgerows, digging ponds, and preserving wildflower strips are essential to reversing environmental decline. Without reliable financial support, however, these practices become far less viable.
Amelia Greenway, 24, manages native cattle and pigs across 365 hectares (900 acres) on the National Trust’s Killerton Estate in Devon. She had been preparing an SFI application worth £94,000 when the freeze was announced, rendering months of work futile.
“We are already sustainable as we are organic. We have highland cattle and rare breed pigs which we conservation graze,” she said. But she wanted to go one step further.
“We were going to start growing our own pig feed to create a circular system in our farm, we were going to sow wildflowers in there as well, and it was going to be a good thing for pollinators. We now can’t afford the seed to do that,” she said.
For tenant farmers like Greenway, applying to such schemes already involves navigating landlord approvals, making the sudden halt especially disheartening.
“The planning we have had to do over SFI has been immense,” she said. “This has seriously wasted our time. We had to do so many paperwork applications that delayed the process.”
“I hope this gives farmers the opportunity not to put their heads in the sand. We weren’t reliant on subsidy but it was great to have that cash boost we could reinvest. Not having the reinvestment will make us become a bit stagnant if the SFI doesn’t become available again.”
While Greenway is fortunate to work with a supportive landlord in the National Trust, she worries that others may lack such backing and abandon nature-friendly efforts altogether.
“Since the shocking news of SFI closure, it’s just reminded us of our gratitude towards the National Trust. Without the support of empathetic landlords who want to allow sustainable farming to be a viable business we wouldn’t be a sustainable business. I am very stagnant now, not moving forward with nature recovery. I have to count my blessings, but I have to look forward to the future and work even more closely with my landlords.”
She believes that farmers can no longer rely on the government for sustainable farming solutions and must find their own way forward.
“I am really worried for the landscape actually; for those farmers who were considering going into regenerative farming, the chopping and changing has completely reduced confidence so it’s caused them to want to intensify instead.”
Similarly, Anthony Curwen, 63, who manages Quex Park in Kent, was also applying for SFI support when the pause was introduced. His estate spans 1,012 hectares (2,500 acres), growing crops like wheat, oats, and potatoes.
“It is just very shocking and surprising that it was withdrawn last week,” he said. “What we are doing is helping sustainable farming, pollen and nature strips. We don’t use insecticides, we plant cover crops. We have already started doing everything. We were hoping to get the money for doing it.”
Curwen has embraced more sustainable farming methods, reducing pesticide use and allocating more space to nature without sacrificing crop yields.
“I’ve noticed more insects, more birds. Lots of things were here 40 or 50 years ago and disappeared then came back. We’ve seen turtle doves come back to the farm, we’ve seen yellow hammers which I haven’t seen for a long time. It is joyous to see it all return.”
He fears that if the government introduces means testing, it could push larger farms toward intensive farming, undoing environmental progress.
“We’ve been on this journey for several years, but the vast bulk of farmers don’t know what to do. They need persuasion, they need help. It will take a lot of rebuilding trust to hit government targets on biodiversity, carbon and soil regeneration. It is quite scary going on that route as it is very different to what they would have been doing.”
Curwen, now a member of the Nature Friendly Farming Network, didn’t anticipate that sustainable practices would maintain productivity—but his experience has turned him into a firm believer.
“Who could say that nature doesn’t matter on a big farm? Nature matters on every farm. Many big farms may go in the opposite direction and intensify and that will hurt nature. It is trying to divide and rule to be honest with you.”
Less inputs and more circular farming actually give us more food security. This is all being put at risk because of the clumsy way this is all going on.”
“I was sceptical of regenerative farming but we have now realised it makes a huge difference to everything around you,” he said. “I am in despair. I am just saddened as I think it is going to be harder now. I thought we were a world leader in this journey and now it’s all up in the air.”
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