Five farming themes at OFC 2026

If you didn't get to attend the 90th Oxford Farming Conference (OFC) on 8 and 9 January, here's a quick round-up of the highlights.

This year's growing resilience-themed event was an opportunity for the rural sector to reflect on the changes of the past 12 months and look ahead.

Five key themes emerged from the presentations: new government funding and support, the real risks of climate change, how to attract and upskill the next generation of farmers, creating a positive narrative for farming, as well as new technologies, including satellites, AI, digital revolution, peer-to-peer learning, and collaboration.

The general questions and insights from young attendees and speakers alike were inspirational. It illustrated that the future of farming is exciting, with opportunities opening up in natural capital and the environment among other fields.

Michael Birnie MRICS, director of land, property and commercial development at The Ernest Cook Trust, commented that 'OFC was extremely interesting and informative. It's clear there is a lot of work and effort going into the sector, fuelled by a deep-rooted connection with land, farming and rural society. I feel lucky to be a part of it.

'My principal concern is climate change, and its effects on soil types, rainfall, drought and extremes, as this is difficult to mitigate quickly. However, I remain optimistic – for those who have the energy to drive a business forward through tough times, they will redefine what farming means in the next generation.'

To counteract negative headlines – '800m people are food insecure' and 'We're all doomed' for example – we need to put forward a new narrative with some historical context, explaining that we are all healthier, wealthier and live longer than we did 200 years ago.

Bobo says that after 2050 the UK population will be in decline, so the next 25 years are hugely important in the history of agriculture.

His message is that things are not bad and getting worse, they are good and getting better, but not fast enough. The sector needs to embrace the future and create stories that inspire people to make the world a better place.

Reynolds set out the steps government is taking this year to help farmers, as well as summarising the flurry of documents that came out at the end of 2025.

This included the announcement in December that the inheritance tax threshold for agricultural property and business property relief will increase to £2.5m. Reynolds was clear that there will be no more changes to come on this.

She also promised the following developments would be introduced this year.

• A farming and food partnership board with representatives from farming, food, retail, finance and government.
• A new farmer collaboration fund of £30m over three years to support farmer groups and networks.
• A new, simpler Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer for 2026 – with two application windows in June (for small farms) and September. Full scheme details will be released before June.
• Publication of the 25-year Farming Roadmap, setting out the direction for farming.
• Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme (FiPL) will be extended for three years, with £30m confirmed for next year.
• Support for England's uplands, including working with Dr Hilary Cottam OBE to design a place-based approach for uplands from Dartmoor to the Lake District.
• Consultation on the planning system closes in March, which promises to help farmers build rural assets quicker.

Professor Ken Sloan, vice-chancellor and chief executive officer of Harper Adams University, commented that: 'Recognising the many challenges that our farmers face, the secretary of state leaned into how to create opportunities and [has] committed to working with the sector to realise them. That commitment to partnership and co-creation was particularly welcome.

'Of course, the challenge will be to see how these policies translate into an effective commercial environment and ultimately end up in a cash flow and on a balance sheet for landowners.'

Sloan pointed out that there are different options available, but it can be overwhelming for anyone to arrive at a solid solution. 'So how they work through them is critical and we are still in the early days of many policies so there aren't as many lived examples of implementation and measurable impact to draw on.

'Having access to the right people with the skills, attitude, and the willingness to adapt and learn is critical.'

Soutar discussed the UK's growing trade deficit, which for agri-food products alone now runs to £3.5bn a month because of growing imports and lagging exports – a concern for both farmers and the wider economy.

The NFU stands firm in the belief that agriculture should not be used as a bargaining chip for steel and pharmaceuticals tariffs following the 13,000 tonnes beef quota agreement with the US.

The NFU's priorities for the year include negotiating on the upcoming UK-EU sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement, which should be finalised this summer and implemented in 2027.

Some welcome opportunities for the rural sector will come out of this agreement, which is expected to remove horticulture checks at the UK border and reduce barriers for UK exports to the EU.

Staying on the theme of trade, the Scotch Whisky Association exported 44 bottles every second in 2025, a clear manufacturing and export success.

But, explained Weaver Roads, even this market is experiencing higher costs and the knock-on effects of geopolitical issues. Although the growing global middle-class is an opportunity waiting to be tapped into, there needs to be tariff-free trade with the US to make that a reality.

The must-read report focuses on individual businesses and complements Baroness Batters' Farming Profitability Review 2025: an independent review, which has some similar recommendations while taking a big-picture view.

Presenting an overview of the report, Manning reminded the audience that the old adage 'turnover is vanity, profit is sanity, but cash is king' is still worth keeping in mind.

Farm businesses must realise that change is not optional, she added. They need clear internal and external value propositions to be an investible product.

In addition, regulation and policy programmes must provide a clear vision for agriculture this year and farm businesses must ask themselves four key questions.

• What do we want to achieve?
• What should we keep doing?
• What should we stop doing?
• What can we do instead?

Above all, she wants the report to initiate conversations. She urges farmers to know their business and be honest – get into the figures and be clear which areas are working and which are not. Then have open and honest conversations with all generations about what they want to achieve.

'The combined impact of major policy shifts, market changes, financial challenges, and climate pressure has led many to feel that this period is different and the risks are higher.

'OFC 2026 convinced me that people need to stay optimistic, and connected. Many are developing innovations and these need to be shared widely to increase adoption and share risk.

'The Sustainable Farms Network, through the School of Sustainable Food and Farming, is a brilliant emerging example of how a network can be used for shared learning and adoption.

'The UK also does not operate in a bubble. The context might be different, but the transition the industry is going through is very similar. We should be open to looking far and wide for answers.'

Andrew Teanby MRICS, a director at Savills, commented that Jack Bobo's presentation about the decline in population after 2050 gave him 'food for thought on long-term land use', something he will consider when advising clients.

Michael Birnie MRICS mentioned that 'what's clear is that climate change is here, now – and we need to consider strategies to cope with extremes and plan for the impact.

'As a body of experts, and an industry of innovators, I call on all interested parties to contribute to the future success of those essential businesses stewarding the country's rural heart.'