Access To Land
The UK has a long history of agriculture but also a long and complex relationship with land ownership, beginning with the enclosure of common land by a rich minority in the 18th century. Today, problems of succession, the rising age of farmers and high rents in an unregulated market, all make it difficult for new entrants to find land for food production. The rising price of land, caused by many factors including investors seeking the tax breaks from agricultural land, together with the drive towards intensive farming and consolidation of agricultural holdings is leading to a rapid decline in the number of UK farmers with 10,000 lost in 2014 alone. What little land does come on the market each year is usually bought at a high price by existing farmers hoping to increase in size in order to compete on the world market.
