Farmers are being backed with nearly £2.3 million to pilot greener, smarter technologies on working farms, as a new wave of farmer-led innovation aims to cut emissions, boost productivity and build long-term resilience in the sector.
The funding, announced by Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle on Monday (15 December), supports 30 projects through the first round of the government’s Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies Fund (ADOPT) fund.
The programme is designed to help farmers explore new ideas in real farm conditions, generating practical evidence about what works before technologies are taken up more widely. The funding is designed to support long-term adoption and impact, rather than short-term trials or experiments.
Projects backed in the first round range from lower-emission machinery to digital tools that support day-to-day farm decisions. One initiative, led by J&E Graham, will assess peat-free compost made from short rotation coppice willow grown in agroforestry systems and blended with other local materials, with the aim of reducing reliance on peat and artificial fertilisers.
Another project, run by W.S. Furnival Limited, will examine whether an older Massey Ferguson 290 tractor can be converted to run on green methanol, offering a potential low-carbon alternative in settings where electrification is not yet practical.
Meanwhile, DigiTwinFarm, led by G J Jelley & Sons, will explore the use of a Farm Digital Twin Platform on two contrasting beef and sheep farms, combining drone imagery, farm records and on-farm testing to support nutrient planning, environmental monitoring and farm management.
Dame Angela Eagle said the approach puts farmers at the heart of change. “By backing innovative ideas that boost productivity and resilience, we’re helping farmers lead the way in shaping a modern, sustainable agricultural sector,” she said.
The ADOPT Fund is being delivered in partnership with Innovate UK as part of a £20 million programme running across the 2025 to 2026 financial year.
Its focus is on helping promising technologies move beyond development and into adoption by proving their value under commercial farming conditions.
Dr Stella Peace, managing director and executive director for the Healthy Living and Agriculture Domain at Innovate UK, said the programme is designed to bridge the gap between innovation and implementation.
“Innovate UK is working with Defra to deliver ADOPT, taking technology to the next scale and into adoption,” she said. “By supporting farmer trials, ADOPT aims to strengthen the UK’s leadership in sustainable agri tech, advance productivity and build more resilient food systems.”
The fund forms part of the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy and wider Plan for Change, with ministers saying the approach will help ensure future farming technologies are properly tested on farms before wider rollout across the sector.
