Supporting the future family farms at London Climate Action Week

As a charity supporting small family farms across the UK, it was an opportunity to share insights from our recent programme, Farm for the Future, and discuss the Routes to Regen pilot, led by us and the Sustainable Markets Initiative, which recently got underway in the East of England. At the event, we were joined by some of the contributors to the programme, including McCain Foods, Lloyds Banking Group, McDonald’s, the Sustainable Food Trust and Soil Association Exchange.

A key theme from the discussion was the value of practical, tailored support. Through Farm for the Future, we saw firsthand how peer-to-peer learning and locally delivered support helped farmers build confidence to explore new farming methods. This same principle is also a part of Routes to Regen, which offers farmers a menu of opportunities provided by leading food and finance businesses. From seed discounts and sustainability premiums to environmental data tools and knowledge-sharing events, this menu model allows each farm to choose the right options for their farm, with free support from our local delivery partner, Ceres Rural. This is crucial in a sector where no two businesses are the same.

Our Executive Director, Keith Halstead said: “Regenerative agriculture can feel daunting; we know the complexity can be overwhelming for family farms already under immense pressure. It was inspiring to be in a room with so many organisations driving positive change in agriculture. Programmes like Routes to Regen and Farm for the Future show that building trust and providing farmers with practical, grounded support is key to their confidence and their success. That’s why events like London Climate Action Week are so important. They connect people, ideas and action with a shared commitment and collaboration to securing a resilient future for the backbone of British agriculture.”

The discussions also focused on the role banks can play. Farmers need a safe environment to adapt and by recognising that moving to regenerative farming may mean lower yields to begin with, banks can offer the support needed to make the transition. For example, giving farmers guidance on how to stack schemes to gain the most benefits available, or reducing the cost of loans when they’re used to invest in regenerative practices.

This was also discussed at two further events we attended at EY: Accelerating Climate Innovation and International Climate Finance, the latter being chaired by RCF Trustee Charlotte Weston. It was clear that successful agricultural transition through policy and investment depends on community engagement. There is also a need for demand-led policy, collaboration between the public and private sectors, and scalable finance that reflects both the risks and the long-term value of regenerative agriculture.

Above all, farmers want choice and control over what they adopt. While regenerative farming is often spoken about for its environmental benefits, it’s just as much about producing more nutritious food for the nation and improving farm profitability and productivity.

For the last 15 years, our aim has been to put business viability at the heart of our support for small family farms. Helping them to build financial resilience first so that they have the stability and confidence to become more sustainable. We’re proud to be working with our partners on Routes to Regen to ensure Britain’s family farms aren’t left behind in this transition.