Working together in the tenant farming sector

When I accepted the role of commissioner for the tenant farming sector, I did so because I believe tenant farming remains one of the most vital components of English agriculture.

A thriving tenant farming sector creates opportunities for new entrants, supports rural economies, drives investment and innovation and helps ensure that farming continues to be dynamic and resilient for future generations.

Drawing on more than 25 years' experience working across land management, tenancy arrangements, rural finance and stakeholder engagement, I recognised the importance of having an independent, trusted voice dedicated to promoting positive relationships in the sector.

The Code is a voluntary guide to good practice launched in 2024 that promotes positive and fair engagement and relations in agricultural tenancies.

My office provides an impartial and confidential point of contact for anyone who wishes to raise concerns, share experiences or seek guidance where they believe the Code may not be being followed.

My team and I are committed to being trusted, evidence-based, user-focused and impartial in everything we do, as well as discrete and confidential in our approach.

The first six months of 2026 have been particularly busy. During that period, my small yet agile team handled 93 enquiries, carried out regular casework meetings, undertook 31 engagement activities and attended five major events. This included the Oxford Farming Conference and presenting a session to rural members at RICS' UK&I Rural Conference on 13 May at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester.

Alongside this, we have worked closely with The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' (Defra's) policy teams, published blogs and promotional materials and participated in podcasts. 

While these activities only tell part of the story, they demonstrate the breadth of work that is already taking place and the strong appetite across the sector to engage with us. 

However, there is still work to do to ensure everyone understands and acts in accordance with the spirit of the Code, and knows how my office and I can support them. 

We heard from tenants, landlords, agents, representative organisations and other interested stakeholders from across England. Responses came from a broad range of farming systems, providing one of the most comprehensive snapshots of attitudes and experiences in the modern tenant farming sector.

The findings have provided both encouragement and challenge.

Perhaps most positively, awareness of both the commissioner and Code already exists across much of the sector; a significant proportion of respondents told us they were either fully aware or somewhat aware of both before receiving the survey. 

This suggests that the news about my team and the Code is beginning to reach people and that awareness-building efforts to date have been worthwhile.

For me, this is one of the most important findings; it tells us that while people may have heard of the commissioner, many still need greater clarity about how we can help and what support is available. 

This creates a clear mandate for us to continue expanding our outreach and communication efforts in the year ahead. A follow-up survey in 2027 will be used to assess our success in these endeavours.

Across many of the enquiries we receive, communication between different participants in the sector, whether that be tenants, landlords, land agents or others, is a common issue. 

We have seen examples of instances where misunderstandings, delays or a lack of clear communication have contributed to disputes and frustrations in contravention of the ethos of the Code.

Other themes include concerns about slow progress in some dealings with organisations, pressures on upland farming incomes and situations where tenants feel their views are not always being heard, particularly in relation to land-use change decisions. 

Some cases have also involved concerns about behaviour and professional conduct. All of this is treated seriously, and we investigate every issue that is brought to our attention.

One area highlighted by both our casework and survey findings is the different way in which relationships can be experienced by different groups. The survey showed that tenants generally reported lower levels of satisfaction with their landlord than landlords or agents did with their tenants.

This difference in perception does not mean there is a simple explanation, but it does suggest that there are experiences and concerns that deserve further exploration and understanding. Perceptions matter because they influence confidence, communication, willingness to raise concerns and the ability to effectively resolve them. 

One of the strongest messages emerging from the survey was that some tenants remain hesitant about raising issues. Concerns about reputational impacts, relationship breakdowns or potential repercussions are clearly influencing confidence levels for some respondents.

These findings reinforce the importance of having a trusted, impartial and confidential route through which concerns can be shared, raised and discussed. The office exists not to take sides, but to support constructive dialogue, encourage good practice and help identify solutions wherever possible.

Over the coming months, my team and I will continue attending major agricultural events, participating in discussions across the country and hosting regional roundtables to hear directly from those involved in the sector. 

We are also exploring new ways to communicate our work, including wider use of digital channels and podcasts, to ensure we reach audiences who may not engage with more traditional routes. 

But we cannot do this alone.

One of the clearest conclusions from our survey is that no single communication channel currently reaches every part of the tenant farming sector. If we are to improve understanding of the commissioner and the Code, we need the support of the wider industry. 

I would therefore encourage everyone reading this – whether you are a tenant farmer, landlord, landowner, agent, adviser, solicitor, member of a representative body or policymaker – to help spread the word about my role and the services available through my office.

I would also encourage organisations to consider inviting us to meetings, conferences, discussion groups and industry events. I am always keen to meet people from across the tenant farming sector, and the engagements we have had so far have been productive. 

Some of the most valuable insights I receive come from conversations with those who work in the sector every day. 

My ambition is simple: to help foster a tenant farming sector characterised by trust, professionalism, fairness and constructive dialogue. The challenges facing agriculture are significant, but so too are the opportunities. 

By working together, promoting the principles of the Code and maintaining open lines of communication, I believe we can create a stronger and more resilient future for tenant farming in England. After all, collaboration is not just one of the principles of the Code – it is the foundation on which the long-term success of the sector depends.