Call for evidence: expanding the role of the private sector in nature recovery

We've launched a call for evidence to better understand how we can support and incentivise business to invest in nature recovery.
We're working with farms to improve the way we regulate and support farming and the environment.
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We've launched a call for evidence to better understand how we can support and incentivise business to invest in nature recovery.
The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund 2025 (FETF) is now open for applications.
To bring HLS payment rates closer to those offered under CSHT and SFI, we’re investing £30 million to increase payments for most HLS options. The rates are now on GOV.UK.
The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) opens for applications on 29 May, offering grants of up to £25,000 to help cut costs and boost efficiency on your farm. To help you prepare, we’ve published guidance on GOV.UK. In this post, we’ll give an overview of what the grant offers and how to apply.
Nature markets allow individuals and businesses to pay for the benefits that nature provides, often supporting environmental conservation and restoration efforts. A new standard aims to bring clarity and confidence to nature markets.
The UK’s National Action Plan for Pesticides guides farmers towards sustainable pest, weed and disease management through integrated pest management (IPM). By combining techniques like crop rotation, biodiversity, and selective pesticide use, IPM strengthens farm resilience, boosts food production, and helps nature thrive. In this post we share resources and case studies.
In this post, we summarise the government's £5 billion investment in farming. We outline how the funding is allocated across the Farming and Countryside Programme. We also highlight recent updates and future plans.
With record numbers of farm businesses in farming schemes and the sustainable farming budget successfully allocated, we will stop accepting new applications for SFI from today. In this post, we set out what it means for you.
From today, livestock farmers can now apply for funding for both the Animal Health and Welfare Review and the endemic disease follow-up for more than one species. In this post, we give an overview and details of a webinar for you to learn more.
Farmers and land managers in England’s protected landscapes can now apply for funding from the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme until March 2026.
Those who started an SFI application within 2 months of 11 March 2025 but did not submit it by that date will be given 6 weeks to complete an application, subject to specific restrictions, including a cap of £9,300 per year per agreement.
Read the full update from Food Security and Rural Affairs Minister Daniel Zeichner.
This blog is managed by Defra’s Farming and Countryside Programme.
On this blog, we explain the reforms to agricultural policy in England.
We share what we’re working on, what we’re learning and how you can get involved.
This week, we’ll be at the following shows:
Come and say hello to our team.
You can find us at these agricultural shows and conferences in 2025.
The Farming Advice Service (FAS) provide free, confidential advice to farmers and advisers.
Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) helps farmers in England protect water, air and soil. CSF advisers can provide advice on best practices and specific actions that will benefit your farm business and the environment.
We’ve compiled a list of organisations offering wellbeing support to those in the farming community.