The University of Nottingham has announced plans to suspend its long-running Agriculture BSc degree at the Sutton Bonington campus, sparking outrage among students, alumni and the wider farming community.
The course, which has shaped agricultural education in Britain since the 1800s, will not recruit new students for the 2026/27 academic year while the university considers a proposal to close it permanently.
The decision, critics say, risks weakening the UK’s pipeline of skilled graduates entering food production, agritech and environmental research — at a time when the sector faces mounting global challenges and rising demand for expertise in sustainable farming.
The move forms part of the institution’s Future Nottingham restructuring programme, which aims to focus on areas of “excellence” and address financial pressures across the higher education sector.
In a statement to students, the university said only a “small number of courses” were being suspended due to low demand, declining enrolment and limited research income, making them “less financially viable”. Current students will be allowed to finish their degrees and will receive support during the transition.
However, the announcement has prompted an impassioned response from those connected to Sutton Bonington, a campus long regarded as a cornerstone of UK agricultural education. Critics argue the decision undermines the nation’s food security and disconnects the university from its rural roots.
One supporter described the move as a blow to “a lifeline for rural communities and the future of farming”, adding that the course had “shaped the minds and skills” of generations who have gone on to lead in food production, environmental science and research.
Speaking on Change.org, she added that “you need a farmer three times a day, every day,” and urged the university to reconsider before “they have no food on their plates.”
The university’s governing council is due to meet on 25 November 2025 to decide whether to begin formal discussions on permanently closing the course.
Alongside the proposed suspension, the university is also considering merging its 26 existing schools into three colleges to “introduce efficiencies” and promote cross-discipline collaboration.
For many, the suspension feels symbolic of how agricultural education is being sidelined at a time when its importance has never been greater.
