Industry welcomes creation of new Farming and Food Partnership Board

The Farm Profitability Review, led by Baroness Minette Batters, was published yesterday.  

It sets out 57 recommendations for government and industry to strengthen the resilience and viability of farm businesses.   

Scott Walker, CEO of GB Potatoes, said that the organisation welcomes the publication of the review, which highlights the importance of a supportive business environment for farmers, growers, and the wider UK food supply chain.  

“Baroness Batters’ review recognises the vital role of farmers and growers in driving growth in UK food production and ensuring domestic food security. Her pragmatic approach underscores the need to value and support primary producers and the broader food sector as the foundation of a sustainable, commercially resilient industry.  

“If quick wins, such as addressing barriers in the planning system, are delivered, they will be warmly welcomed. The creation of a Farming and Food Partnership Board, with profitability and food security at its heart, is also welcome.  

“We would value the opportunity to sit round the board to ensure the potato voice is heard and help build partnerships that move from talk to action,” he added. 

READ MORE: Industry leaders respond to publication of Farming Profitability Review 2025

What will farmers and landowners make of the Farming Profitability Review?

Carter Jonas partner, Chris Turner, said that many of the points raised in the review will resonate strongly with farm and estate owners who want to deliver food, environmental outcomes and resilient rural communities. 
  
He continued: “Our clients have the intent and the willingness but, over the past decade, well-meaning policy and ideas have been undermined by trade-offs, duplication, and delivery challenges. Given what landowners know about the UK’s budget for agriculture, there will also be doubts over whether the money required to deliver greater farm profitability exists.   
  
“Many of the recommendations are for reform at the very top of DEFRA, which we know will take time. To achieve greater profitability, there is also a requirement for a significant increase in public understanding of domestic food production. Again, this is not a quick process. 
  
“Whether farmers and landowners will adopt and support the ideas Baroness Batters has put forward will hinge on whether the government intends to release a budget for agriculture which enables schemes to be viable and commits to them for the medium-to-long term. What our clients need most is clarity and certainty so they can plan.” 

‘Potential to deliver significant benefits’

Steve Clarkson, chief executive of Organic Farmers & Growers, added that the Farming Profitability Review provides an “urgently needed vision” for the industry.  

“As Baroness Batters states in her foreword, it would be ‘irresponsible not to recommend change’, and OF&G is thankful for the considerable contribution her review makes.  

“Several of the review’s key recommendations closely align with the principles and demonstrable outcomes of organic farming. As such, I hope organic will be explicitly recognised in the government’s 25-year Farming Roadmap.  

“Organic systems are synonymous with championing economic and environmental resilience, which should be seen as two sides of the same coin, as Baroness Batters points out in her review. As such, the recommendation to implement new frameworks that measure the full value of farming in terms of GDP and natural capital are wholly welcomed.” 

Mr Clarkson said that there also remains a clear aspiration for a targeted scheme that drives the adoption of sustainable practices. “This has the potential to deliver significant benefits that could be captured through a targeted Organic Action Plan for England.  

“From this point on, it would be even more irresponsible for the government not to take heed and implement the changes the sector is demanding to secure a more profitable outlook,” he concluded. 

Read the review here.

Read more farm business news.