Farming Futures in race to secure fresh funding

Farming Futures, set up four years ago to help farmers adapt to climate change, will be forced to close next spring unless a new backer can be found.

The organisation, a joint project between government and several industry bodies has relied on public money since it started.

But DEFRA has decided it can no longer afford to bankroll Farming Futures, which now faces a £270,000 a year shortfall.

Co-manager Claire Wyatt admitted funding had been an issue for some time. Despite numerous efforts to secure EU and private backing since the organisation’s inception, nothing had materialised.

“EU funding proved to be a nightmare – every time we applied we wouldn’t fit a certain category.

“Each year DEFRA has stumped up the cash, but it has now made it clear there is no more money,” she added.

“We are stepping up efforts to secure alternative funding by next April, otherwise we will have to close.”

DEFRA spent £270,000 on the project this year, Ms Wyatt said. “It would be great to secure that amount, but we could continue to run with less by paring back to a website plus a couple of events a year.

“With nutrients and oil prices rising, the challenge of climate change and new opportunities through renewables, there has never been a more important time for Farming Futures to link all this together to communicate the options.”

Country Land & Business Association president William Worsley said he was disappointed that DEFRA funding was to cease.

“There is a thirst for information about new technologies and new business opportunities and Farming Futures caters for this.

“The ‘greenest government ever’ needs to do everything possible to assist the land management sector to produce and promote its own plan to reduce greenhouse gases.”

Jonathan Scurlock, NFU chief adviser on renewable energy and climate change, said DEFRA needed to accept that some degree of government commitment was essential to help such an organisation reach what was a relatively niche market.

A DEFRA spokeswoman defended the decision and said funding had always been time-limited.

According to the Farming Futures website, nearly 1200 farmers, growers and land managers attended 12 events in the past year.