Put farm profit at heart of research spending, report urges

Farmers should have more say in how public research money is spent, with greater emphasis on practical solutions that improve farm profitability, a new report recommends.

An analysis of £1.2bn in public agricultural research funding between 2022 and 2026 identifies opportunities to better connect investment with farmers’ needs, alongside sustained support for longer-term challenges.

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The Centre for Agricultural Research Impact’s (Ag.Impact) State of Agricultural Research & Innovation 2026 report draws on more than 600 survey responses, including over 300 farmers, plus interviews and workshops.

Profitable farming was the top priority for most farmers surveyed. Across farmers, researchers and other stakeholders, there was strong agreement that research should tackle real farming problems, produce usable evidence and involve farmers from the outset.

Ag.Impact chief executive Prof Tom MacMillan said: “Farmers and researchers are telling us they want work to answer real questions, grounded in what happens on farms and producing evidence they can use.

“This report gives us a clearer picture of where funding is going and how this compares with what people need.

“There are strong foundations to build on, and we can see where changes could make research more beneficial to farming, anticipate future needs and deliver greater public value.”

The report highlights Defra’s Adopt programme as a positive example. Delivered by Innovate UK through the Farming Innovation Programme, it helps groups of farmers test their own ideas on farm, with research support and findings shared more widely.

However, interdisciplinary and cross-cutting projects accounted for only about 7% of funding analysed.

The report calls for better co-ordination between funders, research organisations and the UK’s four nations.

Recommendations include more accessible farmer-centred programmes, reliable long-term funding and investment in farm networks, skills, data-sharing and research facilities.

The report also stresses the need to prepare for future pressures, including climate change and extreme weather.

Forage breeding illustrates the timescales involved, with new grass varieties taking 15-20 years to reach farms.