Committees

The future of farming

Inquiry

The agricultural sector is experiencing a period of significant change as it transitions away from a legacy direct payments regime towards nation-specific farming schemes.  

The future of farming inquiry will provide consistent scrutiny of the issues facing the sector as it transitions. It will focus on farmers, farming communities and the agricultural sector, and seek to engage with these stakeholders in formal calls for evidence, public evidence sessions, visits, engagement events and consultation.  

The Committee will call for evidence on a regular basis. The Committee will produce iterative and focused reports throughout the inquiry.  

Topics for scrutiny will include, but are not limited to: 

  • agricultural education and careers;
  • Defra’s farming and countryside programme (Environmental Land Management Schemes); 
  • food security;  
  • innovation and agri-tech; 
  • land use;  
  • nature-friendly farming;  
  • profitability of farming; and 
  • tenant farming.  

This inquiry will engage the Committee’s cross-cutting work on supporting rural and coastal communities.  

If you have information or evidence which may be of interest to the Committee, please contact: efracom@parliament.uk   

This inquiry is no longer accepting evidence

The Committee is not currently accepting evidence relating to the future of farming, but it may open another call for evidence in the future. If you would like to write to the Committee about the future of farming in the meantime, please email your submission to EFRACOM@parliament.uk. Unfortunately, the Committee is unable to consider individual problems or specific complaints.

Upcoming events

View all events

No upcoming events scheduled

Past events

Tuesday 20 January 2026
9:30am Private
10:00am Public
The future of farming - Oral evidence 20 January 2026
10:00am
  • The Baroness Batters DL
Room 6, Palace of Westminster
Tuesday 16 December 2025
9:30am Private
10:00am Public
Oral evidence session 16 December 2025
The future of farming - Oral evidence
10:00am
  • Dame Angela Eagle (Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs at Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
  • Emily Miles (Director General for Food, Biosecurity and Trade at Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
  • Mike Rowe (Director for Farming and Countryside at Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Food supply chain resilience and fairness - Oral evidence
10:45am
  • Dame Angela Eagle (Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs at Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs)
  • Emily Miles (Director General for Food, Biosecurity and Trade at Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
  • Mike Rowe (Director for Farming and Countryside at Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs)
Biosecurity and animal welfare - Oral evidence
11:10am
  • Dame Angela Eagle (Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs at Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs)
  • Emily Miles (Director General for Food, Biosecurity and Trade at Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
  • Mike Rowe (Director for Farming and Countryside at Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Fisheries and the marine environment - Oral evidence
11:30am
  • Dame Angela Eagle (Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs at Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs)
  • Gareth Baynham-Hughes (Director of Marine and Fisheries at Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs)
  • Mike Dowell (Deputy Director for Marine and Fisheries at Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs)
Room 6, Palace of Westminster
Tuesday 1 April 2025
9:30am Private
10:00am Public
Oral evidence session 1 April 2025
The future of farming - Oral evidence
10:00am
  • Daniel Zeichner MP (Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs at Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs)
  • Janet Hughes (Director of the Farming and Countryside Programme at Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs)
  • Emily Miles (Director General for Food, Biosecurity and Trade at Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs)
Food supply chain resilience and fairness - Oral evidence
10:45am
  • Daniel Zeichner MP (Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs at Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs)
  • Janet Hughes (Director of the Farming and Countryside Programme at Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs)
  • Emily Miles (Director General for Food, Biosecurity and Trade at Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs)
Fisheries and the marine environment - Oral evidence
11:20am
  • Daniel Zeichner MP (Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs at Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs)
  • Colin Faulkner (Head of External Fisheries and Trade at Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs)
  • Mike Dowell (Head of EU Fisheries Policy and Negotiations at Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs)
Room 6, Palace of Westminster
Tuesday 14 January 2025
9:30am Private
10:00am Public
The future of farming - Oral evidence 14 January 2025
10:00am
  • Dame Tamara Finkelstein (Permanent Secretary at Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
  • Emily Miles (Director General for Food, Biosecurity and Trade at Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
  • Jonathan Baker (Deputy Director of Policy, Engagement and Strategy at Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Room 6, Palace of Westminster

Contact us

We receive a significant number of emails each day. All requests and invitations are considered but we do not respond directly to everyone. Please be aware, the committee does not look at individual cases or specific complaints.

  • Email: efracom@parliament.uk
  • Address: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA