The future of British farming is at risk unless the industry finally gets serious about sharing and using data, leading figures from across food and agriculture have warned — saying progress on profit and climate goals will stall without urgent action.
At a Map of Ag roundtable in London, NFU President Tom Bradshaw, Myton Food Group’s Sophie Throup, Barclays UK’s Kate Hosking and Arla’s Arthur Fearnall said the sector can no longer afford fragmented, duplicated and inconsistent farm data.
High-quality information, they argued, is now essential to running efficient businesses, cutting emissions and proving environmental performance to supply chains and lenders.
They said the path forward must be built on three non-negotiables: collaboration across the whole food system, shared metrics everyone recognises, and farmers leading the agenda rather than being dictated to.
Better data, they stressed, could slash paperwork, reduce duplication, improve herd and crop performance, and help unlock finance — delivering real, immediate value on farm.
But the panel admitted the industry still lacks clarity on what “good quality” data actually looks like. Ms Throup said the sector had “done a lot of measuring”, but too little of it was being turned into “on-farm decisions and actions”.
Farms already hold powerful datasets, she noted, and technology including AI could take the hassle out of data collection while helping cut emissions to meet UK climate targets.
She also called for a trusted, independent home for farm data management to rebuild confidence and encourage wider sharing.
Mr Bradshaw warned that information only becomes useful when it is joined up and analysed. “Data on its own is valueless unless it’s brought together, analysed collectively, and used to inform change,” he said. Farmers, he added, need confidence there is “a purpose — and a reward — for contributing their information”.
One of the biggest complaints raised was duplication, with farmers repeatedly asked for the same figures by different schemes. Mr Fearnall said producers should be able to “input data once and have it flow to where it needs to go”, adding that the sector “can’t afford to spend our time duplicating work”. He pointed to the Dairy Roadmap as proof that unified metrics can deliver real environmental gains.
Ms Hosking highlighted how critical robust data has become to securing finance. She said clear, consistent metrics were essential for supporting farmers through the transition to more sustainable systems. “Finance will be key in supporting farmers to transition,” she said, adding that reliable data helps ensure farmers are properly rewarded for improvements.
Speakers repeatedly stressed that farmers must shape the standards used to judge their emissions and sustainability performance. Duncan Rawson of the European Food and Farming Partnerships said producers should unite to set their own metrics. “This is about giving farmers control over their own destiny,” he said.
The panel warned that delaying action could leave the sector facing heavier reporting burdens, clashing supply-chain demands and reduced access to investment. “It’s not about debating which methodology is perfect,” Ms Hosking said. “It’s about agreeing on what matters, acting on it, and building trust in the process.”
Ms Throup said momentum would depend on breaking down silos between government, food companies, finance and farmers. With shared metrics and farmers firmly in the driving seat, she said, the industry could build a system that delivers “productivity, profitability, and environmental stewardship” in the face of rapid change.
Map of Ag, which hosted the event, operates a data platform designed to connect farm and agrifood information through a secure permissioning system that keeps farmers fully in control of how their data is used.
