England sets 2036 ambition to expand organic farming
The story at a glance
Defra published the Organic Action Plan for England on 14 October 2026. It sets an ambition to increase organically managed agricultural land from around 3.4% to 10% by 2036.12
The plan combines advice for farmers, efforts to develop markets and public-sector purchasing, and continued support through existing environmental land-management schemes. Independent reporting has raised concerns about whether funding will be dependable enough to support expansion.12
The story in brief
What you need to know
- The 10% figure is an ambition for 2036, not a reported result. England’s current organic farmland share is around 3.4%, according to the plan and independent coverage of its announcement.12
- The plan proposes advice and peer support for farmers considering conversion. It also sets out work to improve market and supply-chain opportunities, alongside greater use of organic produce in public-sector purchasing.1
- For farm support, the plan says the existing organic offer in environmental land-management schemes will be maintained and kept under review. The Guardian reports calls for reliable support and further investment, leaving the adequacy of funding an open issue.12
- A Defra-commissioned review, summarised by the Organic Research Centre, draws on more than 300 peer-reviewed studies and farm-level data. It reports strong evidence of benefits for biodiversity and soil health, as well as reduced chemical exposure.3
- The evidence review does not establish equally strong findings across all environmental outcomes. It identifies a need for further research on greenhouse-gas emissions and air quality.3
Conservation context
Why this matters
The plan links a change in how English farmland is managed with potential environmental benefits and the development of markets for organic produce. The evidence cited supports some benefits more strongly than others, so progress in land area alone would not resolve questions about environmental outcomes.13
The developing story
What happens next
Delivery will depend in part on whether the proposed advice, market and procurement measures help farmers convert and reach buyers, and whether existing support is reliable enough. The plan says its organic offer in support schemes will be reviewed; the supplied reporting does not establish whether additional dedicated funding will follow.12
Established evidence
What we know
- The plan covers 2026–2036 and sets an ambition to raise the organic share of English agricultural land to 10%, from around 3.4%.1
- Proposed measures include farmer advice and peer support, market and supply-chain development, and public-sector purchasing of organic produce.1
- The plan says the existing organic offer in environmental land-management schemes will be maintained and kept under review.1
- The reported evidence review finds stronger support for benefits including biodiversity and soil health than for conclusions about greenhouse-gas emissions and air quality.3
Open questions
What we don't know
- The supplied reporting does not establish whether further dedicated funding will be made available or whether existing support will be sufficiently reliable for farmers planning conversion.12
- The material does not specify how progress towards 2036 will be measured and reported, including how environmental outcomes will be assessed alongside organic land area.1
- It remains unclear whether the proposed procurement and supply-chain actions will make it practical for more producers, including smaller farms, to reach buyers.1
- Further research is needed to clarify the evidence on organic production’s effects on greenhouse-gas emissions and air quality.3
Source coverage
