Farms must work with nature to survive, report warns

British farms risk becoming financially unsustainable unless agriculture adapts to climate and market pressures, a new report has warned.

The Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN) said the current farming model was leaving farm businesses increasingly exposed to climate shocks, volatile markets and rising production costs.

The warning comes as fertiliser prices surge again amid conflict in the Middle East, adding further pressure to already strained agricultural businesses.

At the same time, UK food prices could rise by as much as 50% by November compared to five years ago, according to analysis referenced in the report from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit.

The report, The Nature of Business: Delivering resilience, food security and economic value through nature-friendly farming, was launched in Westminster this week.

It argues that “business as usual is not an option” for modern agriculture.

According to the NFFN, farming systems that prioritise soil health, biodiversity and water management may be better equipped to cope with increasingly unpredictable weather and economic instability.

The report claims nature-friendly farming is becoming an economic necessity as well as an environmental priority.

It also argues lower-input systems could help reduce reliance on expensive fertilisers and pesticides while improving long-term resilience and profitability.

The report links increasingly volatile weather patterns to poor harvests in recent years, including repeated crop losses caused by waterlogged winters followed by prolonged summer droughts.

NFFN chief executive Martin Lines warned the pressures facing agriculture were becoming more severe.

“The alarm bells are ringing ever louder,” he said.

Mr Lines said the current farming system was failing both farm profitability and the environment, while continued pressure on soil and natural resources was increasing risks for future food production.

“If we continue to degrade national assets, the consequences for farming will be severe,” he said.

“Business as usual is not an option.”

The report also argues farmers should increasingly be recognised not only as food producers, but as providers of environmental outcomes, fibre and renewable energy.

“For decades, farmers have been defined primarily as food producers,” Mr Lines said.

“But this has come at a cost to nature, climate and, increasingly, the quality of what we produce.”

The NFFN is calling for urgent long-term investment from both government and the private sector to help farms transition towards more nature-friendly systems.

The organisation also wants stronger coordination across government departments, clearer environmental reporting standards for businesses and more consistent systems for measuring outcomes such as soil health and carbon storage.

However, some farming organisations argue conventional fertilisers and crop protection products remain critical for maintaining yields and food security, particularly as producers face rising costs and increasingly unpredictable weather.

Some groups have also warned that moving away from conventional systems too quickly could increase short-term costs and uncertainty for farms already operating on tight margins.

The NFFN argues environmental performance and farm profitability should no longer be treated as separate goals.

Mr Lines said farmers needed clearer long-term direction to build resilient businesses capable of producing food while protecting the environment for future generations.

“The government must now act with ambition,” he said.