British agriculture has spent years discussing the need to attract new entrants, but encouraging people into the industry is only half the challenge. The bigger task is creating meaningful opportunities for them to build viable businesses, says George Dunn, chief executive of the Tenant Farmers Association (TFA).

New entrants are vital to agriculture; they bring new ideas and new ways of doing things, and we need to make sure that good people with skills and energy are attracted to the sector.

Encouragingly, more non farmers are considering careers in agriculture. For me, the biggest issue isn’t attracting people, it’s creating opportunities once they’ve decided this is what they want to do.

It’s easy to talk about new entrants – everyone gets a warm feeling when the subject comes up, and no one disagrees that we should have more new entrants to the industry. The harder question is: what can we physically do about it?

Opportunities for entry and progression

For those who want to farm in their own right, access to land remains the biggest barrier. That’s why landlords, land managers and advisers have such an important role to play.

It’s easy to let land to the usual suspects because they’re seen as a safe pair of hands and are good for the rent. But if we’re serious about supporting the next generation, landlords and agents need to be mindful of the need to give people a chance.

Just as importantly, we need to think beyond starter farms. Progression opportunities are just as important because they create movement throughout the sector.

A good example is a Duchy of Cornwall tenant who wanted to expand and was offered a larger holding elsewhere on the estate. That released their previous farm for a tenant from the Devon County Council estate, which in turn freed up a county council holding for a new entrant. One progression opportunity ultimately brought another person to the industry – we need to be more systematic about creating these opportunities.

Flexible farm tenancies

One area where I think we could do better is making use of the flexibility that already exists within farm business tenancies.

The 1995 Agricultural Tenancies Act gives us freedom to tailor agreements to individual circumstances. If you think of that freedom as a football pitch, the extent to which we’re currently using it could be measured by the centre circle.

Stepped rents, break clauses and alternative rent review provisions can all help manage risk while creating opportunities, but it’s often easier to pull the standard agreement out of the drawer because that’s what’s always been done.

Government also has a role to play. A loan guarantee scheme for new entrants who have the business skills and acumen to succeed but lack the security to borrow could unlock opportunities at relatively little cost because borrowers would still repay the loans themselves.

Widening routes into agriculture

I also think we need to broaden our view of what a new entrant actually is. We’ve become a little siloed in our thinking, assuming the only valid new entrant is someone running their own farm. In reality, there are many routes into agriculture through employment, contracting, agronomy, veterinary practice and the wider supply chain.

Equally, younger people are more comfortable with a plural economic existence. They’re farmers in their hearts, but they’re business people in their heads. They might run a farm while also doing contracting, event management or another rural business, and we need to be more accommodating of that approach.

My advice to anyone hoping to establish themselves in farming is persevere. You won’t get the first opportunity. You won’t get the second opportunity. You might not even get the third, fourth, fifth or sixth opportunity. But at some point, your opportunity will come.

Perseverance isn’t passive. Grab as much experience as you can, ask for feedback and keep building your skills. Every knockback is a chance to become stronger for the next opportunity.

The TFA offers practical support for new entrants, including student membership, business planning advice, tenancy opportunities and farm rent data. For more information visit tfa.org.uk.

This article was written by George Dunn, TFA Chief Executive, for Land Matters (a National Trust publication) in Autumn 2026.

-Ends-

Additional reading:

TFA Blog #368 – Tenant Farmers Must be Central to New Government’s Rural Agenda

TFA News – Cornwall Council to Publish Its New County Farms Strategy

TFA Blog #289 – The Landlord Tenant System for Agriculture Is Ideal for Encouraging New Entrants

Further Resources from the TFA:

TFA members can get expert one-to-one advice and guidance, by calling TFA head office on 0118 930 6130.

• Find out about TFA membership benefits and rewards
• Browse our Blog archive for the latest news, including farming policy updates
• Explore upcoming TFA events, including webinars, shows and regional meetings

Media Enquiries

For press and media enquiries about any of these stories, please contact Julia Meadows, TFA Communications and Events Coordinator by calling TFA head office on 0118 930 6130 or 07887 777157.