Government plans to increase England’s organic farmland share to 10% by 2036 — The Guardian

The government has set a target of increasing the share of England’s agricultural land farmed to organic standards to 10% by 2036. Organic farming currently covers 3.4% of England’s agricultural land, one of the lowest rates in Europe, The Guardian reports.

Focus on public procurement

The new plan, which took more than three years to develop, provides for the growth of the organic sector. Public procurement of food, including for schools and hospitals, is identified in the document as one of the key opportunities. The government already has a long-term target: 10% of public-sector spending on food must meet higher environmental production standards.

Environment Secretary Angela Eagle said the plan should open up opportunities both for farmers already producing organic goods and for those considering this way of working. According to her, organic farming should not be viewed as niche production.

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Farmers demand stable funding

Industry representatives stress that financial support is needed for the transition. Riverford chief executive Rob Howard described the public procurement system as difficult for small organic farms and said grant funding was needed.

In September, the funds of the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 programme were exhausted within six hours, leaving thousands of farmers without funding. Soil Association head of farming policy Gareth Morgan called for the programme to be restored so that farms could transition to organic production.

According to the publication, farmers also point to the need for investment from supply chains and the private sector, fairer prices for producers and a stronger domestic market. Supporters of the plan believe that wider adoption of organic production could reduce the price gap between organic and conventional products.