United Kingdom
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.
Detailed Informations about the Background and UK’s
Policy Environment you find in our Resources section
The BDLT aims to secure farmland in trust for affordable access for biodynamic farmers, for conservation, public access, sustainable and community connected farming and education.
The Soil Association is the UK’s leading organisation campaigning for healthy, humane and sustainable food, farming and land use. Its Land Trust exists to protect the countryside by acquiring and managing farmland sustainably; and to connect the public with the stewardship of the land.
The Real Farming Trust (RFT) is a UK charity that supports enlightened agriculture – farming that provides good food for everyone forever, without cruelty or injustice and without adversely affecting other people and the biosphere.
Shared Assets is a UK-based social enterprise working to make land work for everyone. They provide practical support, research, and policy advocacy to promote fair, sustainable, and community-led management of land. Focused on the concept of “common good land use,” Shared Assets supports communities, local authorities, and landowners to develop inclusive governance models and long-term stewardship arrangements.
