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Environmental Farm Business Tenancies: supporting farmers, food production and nature recovery
Our environmental Farm Business Tenancy agreements are helping farmers balance productive agriculture with nature recovery, while supporting stronger, more resilient rural businesses.
Developed in partnership with the Tenant Farmers Association, the agreement is core to our strategy to create financial, social and environmental value for current and future generations.
How the agreements work
The model gives farmers greater flexibility over how land is managed, while keeping food production at its core. Farmers pay a lower rent on areas such as field margins that are dedicated to nature recovery, with each agreement supported by a tailored Nature Action Plan.
These plans are developed field by field, reflecting the characteristics of the land and identifying opportunities such as cover crops, wetland creation and habitat restoration. Farmers can then apply to our Rural Environment Fund to help deliver the work.
Benefits for nature, climate and rural businesses
Creating space for nature alongside food production can support biodiversity, improve soil health, reduce carbon emissions and water use, and build climate resilience across the wider landscape.
For farmers, the agreements offer longer-term stability through 15-year tenancies, as well as opportunities to diversify their businesses and strengthen resilience. We now have 17 environmental Farm Business Tenancies in place, covering more than 4,444 hectares, with ambitious plans to expand their use across our portfolio.
Creating wider impact
With around a third of UK farmland tenanted, this approach has the potential to influence land management practices beyond our own portfolio and support positive relationships across the tenanted sector. The model has already been shared with other large-scale rural landowners as we continue to explore how it can create wider impact.
Jonathan Page - Abbey Garth Farm, Yorkshire