Statement after the SFI application window on 22^nd September was closed after six hours and the fund fully allocated

“The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), the flagship government scheme to support nature-friendly farming in England closed to applicants within 6 hours of opening. £233 million of funding that will improve soil health, boost biodiversity and drive improvements in water quality and resilience evaporated in record time. Thousands of farmers and land managers, many reeling from the one of the most challenging harvests on record, have been left with nothing to show for months of careful planning and head into winter unsure of the future of their businesses. 

“SFI26 is not what a successful agri-environment scheme looks like. Defra must recognise that if the objectives of the Farming Roadmap are to be realised – for farming in England to become profitable, productive, sustainable and resilient – the model needs to change. Farmers manage nearly 70% of land in England and need guaranteed funding and trusted advice to deliver the cleaner rivers, healthier landscapes and thriving wildlife we all want to see. 

“While the Rivers Trust Movement will continue to support and advise farmers to deliver these outcomes for nature, we call on Defra to set out how they will shape SFI27 and beyond to ensure the mad scramble seen yesterday is not repeated. Specifically, we call on Defra to work with farming and environmental bodies to move away from the menu-style approach of SFI26 and towards a system that recognises the challenges and opportunities at a landscape-level; to deliver what the landscape and farmers need. 

“SFI26 is not an effective way to allocate public funding, nor can it deliver the specific environmental outcomes that each different landscape and catchment needs.” 

Joe Lyall, Agricultural Engagement Officer and Dairy Farmer at High Oaks Farm, Cumbria