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Sustainable Farming Incentive

Asked by Mr Lee DillonLiberal DemocratDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled Answered 16 June 2026UIN 7971

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the closure of applications to the Sustainable Farming Incentive on farmers seeking to undertake (a) nature recovery, (b) habitat restoration and (c) regenerative farming projects.

Answered by Stephen Morgan

The Government is backing farmers with a record £11.8 billion for sustainable farming and food production over this parliament.

This is funding Defra’s agri-environmental schemes, currently including over 44,500 multi-year live SFI agreements.

Defra will open the SFI2026 offer to small farms and farms not yet in ELM agreements later this month, and to everyone in September.

SFI is an important offer, but it is part of a wider package. Defra opened the rolling application window for the new Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) in September 2025. The application window for the ELM capital grants offer will open in July.

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