Leading Food and Environment Groups Call on Government Support Real Farming

The Real Farming Trust joins 40 leading food, farming and conservation organisations in advocating for a sustainable future for farming in an open letter to Environment Secretary Steve Reed.

In a time of escalating challenges for farmers and our environment, the Real Farming Trust stands united with leading voices in the environmental and agroecology sectors. Together with 40 other food, farming and conservation organisations, we’ve co-signed an open letter to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, calling for urgent reforms to ensure the future of farming is both sustainable and equitable.

Farmers are navigating a perfect storm: extreme weather, soaring costs, and supply chain imbalances are undercutting their ability to thrive. Meanwhile, England’s Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes—a cornerstone of agricultural reform—remain underfunded and insufficient. Without immediate action, the shared goals of nature recovery, climate resilience, and food security are at risk.

This letter outlines bold recommendations, from ensuring fair treatment of farmers in supply chains to accelerating and improving ELM schemes. It’s a plea for decisive action to address systemic injustices and to invest in an agroecological farming future—one where agriculture, conservation, and livelihoods flourish in harmony.

Robert Fraser, Real Farming Trust Executive Director and Farmer, said:

“Farmers are feeling disenfranchised. Their social contract with the government to transition to nature-friendly, agroecological practices is under severe stress, if not broken. I hope our collective voice encourages the Secretary of State to enact what is needed to create a fair and workable system that delivers good food and nature recovery on farms across the UK.”

Read the full letter,  coordinated by Sustain and Wildlife and Countryside Link, here.