On 11 November 2026, the Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Rt Hon Dame Angela Eagle DBE, set out her commitment to a stronger future for tenant farming when she attended the TFA National Executive Committee meeting at the Farmers Club in London.
A long-term vision for the tenanted sector
The Secretary of State agreed with the TFA on the need for a long-term vision for England’s tenanted sector, recognising its contribution to food production, environmental improvement and rural communities.
Barriers to investment
The Secretary of State heard that the central issues are the barriers that prevent tenants from investing and building viable businesses. These include short-term agreements, restrictive tenancy conditions and difficult landlord and tenant relationships.
Dame Angela took time to discuss and understand these concerns. She committed to a programme of workshops involving tenant farmers to gather practical experience and identify the changes needed to create a resilient, profitable and productive sector, alongside a fair transition into new land-use opportunities. The TFA confirmed its willingness to work with DEFRA in delivering these workshops.
Agreed priorities
The Secretary of State agreed that the priority areas are:
- promoting longer tenancies that support investment and access to finance
- fair access to government schemes and nature markets
- better collaboration between tenants, landlords and advisers, including wider adoption of the Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Code of Practice
Reforms to the Farm Tenancy Forum
Reforms to the Farm Tenancy Forum were also outlined during the meeting. A new Tenant Farmer Group will meet ahead of Forum meetings to strengthen the influence of working tenant farmers on policy development. [Insert Tenant Farmer Group details here.]
TFA response
Welcoming the Secretary of State’s commitment to the tenanted sector, TFA Chief Executive, George Dunn, said: “It is essential that we take this opportunity to deliver a better platform for the tenanted sector. We need it to thrive with long term, flexible and fair agreements so that it can play its full part in delivering the food and environmental security that our country needs.”
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