Agriculture

Chair: Barnaby Coupe, The Wildlife Trusts
Vice Chair: Alice Groom, RSPB

Update from the group:

The Agriculture Group has been actively engaged in responding to key Government policy initiatives such as the Comprehensive Spending Review, Land Use Framework, Farming Roadmap, SFI reform, Farm Profitability Review and the Food Strategy. 

Link continues to call for sufficient farm payments under the Government’s ‘Environmental Land Management’ (ELM) policy. In March 2025 50 Link members joined with the NFU and CLA in writing to the Chancellor calling on her not to cut the ELM budget further. This was followed with a drop-in session for MPs in April attended by 20 MPs. 

The Agriculture Group works in coalition with other groups on agricultural peatland, nitrogen pollution, climate change and the farming sector, circular economy in food systems, animal welfare and building the consensus on food, farming and nature. It also continues to support other Link working groups to promote access to the countryside, and protect natural habitats and wildlife species through nature-friendly farming practices. 

Last updated: May 2025