Crown Estate Launches £20 Million Fund to Drive Greener 'Future Farming Model

The Crown Estate has unveiled an expanded £20 million Rural Environment Fund to support its tenant farmers in transitioning to a greener, more sustainable future farming model. This initiative aligns with the estate’s commitment to nature recovery and biodiversity targets.

This year’s fund has doubled from £10 million to £20 million, providing tenant farmers with the resources to adopt practices that balance food production and nature recovery. The estate aims to repurpose 15% of its farmland and let on new tenancies for nature recovery by 2030.

Since the fund’s inception three years ago, tenant farmers have implemented impactful initiatives, including:

• Planting 300km of hedgerows.

• Creating 280 hectares of new woodland.

These interventions, described as ‘no regrets’ measures, have laid the groundwork for future sustainability efforts.

The New Environmental Tenancy Model

The estate has introduced a 15-year environmental Farm Business Tenancy (FBT) to provide the structure and opportunities necessary for farmers to enhance their environmental contributions. This new model will serve as a framework for achieving nature recovery goals.

Beyond tenant farms, the Crown Estate works with graziers with common rights in Wales and Cumbria to develop collaborative visions for nature recovery by 2030.

The Crown Estate will monitor the impact of these initiatives and provide an update on progress toward its 2030 targets in its 2026 annual report.

With its expanded Rural Environment Fund and a focus on long-term sustainability, the Crown Estate is positioning itself as a leader in the transition to greener farming practices. By blending food production with nature recovery, the initiative sets a benchmark for sustainable agriculture and biodiversity preservation across the UK.