The launch of the Land Use Framework for England (LUF) is a positive starting point for important conversations about the future of food and farming, the Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN) has said.

The farmer-led organisation has welcomed the publication of the landmark document, which sets out the challenges posed by the increasing demands on land across England.

The NFFN hopes the LUF will help move the conversation beyond binary arguments comparing food production to other uses of farmland, such as renewable energy or woodland.

Instead, it focuses on multifunctional land use, where a single field or farm can provide a range of products and services, from food and timber to contributing to climate change mitigation and nature restoration.

In practice, this could mean growing arable crops or grazing livestock around solar panels, or introducing nature-based flood management systems by allowing land to flood to protect downstream communities.

This approach should help farms become more resilient, both financially and environmentally, at a time when fuel and fertiliser prices are rocketing due to the invasion of Iran and climate change is having a significant impact on farms across the country. However, the NFFN warns that clarity around funding the changes in the report is still required.

Martin Lines, NFFN CEO, said: “There is a great deal to welcome in this framework. We have long said that farms can do much more than simply produce food, and this report rightly highlights the wide range of goods and services our industry can provide. Its emphasis on multi-functional land use - delivering multiple outcomes from the same piece of land rather than separating nature and food production - must be at the heart of our thinking for the future.

“For some farmers, particularly in the uplands, this will require a major rethink of their business model. As custodians of some of our most precious habitats and landscapes, it is vital they are supported to navigate the opportunities available.

“With international and geopolitical uncertainty increasing, now is clearly the right time to strengthen economic security at home and ensure our landscapes provide as much of what we need as possible. However, to deliver this framework, land managers need to see a clear pipeline of funding from the public and private sectors to invest in what we need to deliver the required outcomes.”

With farmers managing 70% of England’s landscape, the NFFN says the LUF’s recognition of their role as land managers - capable of tackling the climate and nature crises while continuing to produce food - is vital to ensure they can keep working their land.

The organisation also welcomed the report’s emphasis on joined-up thinking, ensuring local and national government strategies for nature recovery and tackling climate action are aligned. It is hoped this will prevent resources being wasted, for example, by investing in nature-based solutions for flooding or carbon storage on land also earmarked for long-term development.

The NFFN adds that many measures that will benefit nature and the climate, such as increasing tree cover on farms, can also support farm businesses by providing shade and shelter for livestock as summers get hotter and weather patterns become more volatile.

Mr Lines added: “The report does not tell people what to do, but sets out the important objectives for the country’s future. We now need meaningful engagement between Government, the private sector and farmers to develop financially viable models that make the most of our natural capital and ensure the right things are in the right places across our landscapes.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

NFFN CEO Martin Lines and NFFN England farmers are available for interview. To arrange to speak to them, please contact NFFN press officer Andrew Nowell on 07985476428 or at andrew.nowell@nffn.org.uk

About the Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN)

The Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN) is a farmer-led organisation helping farmers restore the balance between farming and nature. It supports farmers by sharing knowledge, resources, and case studies to boost food production, protect wildlife, and build climate resilience. NFFN also influences policy to secure fair rewards for farmers who care for nature and connect like-minded farmers across the UK.

The NFFN is a membership network open to all – farmers, the public, and organisations. Membership is free.

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