Welsh Government announces Sustainable Farming Scheme
The Welsh Government has confirmed its long anticipated Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS), due to launch in 2026, taking a ‘whole farm’ approach to sustainable food production through the Universal layer which looks both ambitious and pioneering, for Wales and the UK.
The Welsh Government has listened to and acted on many of the concerns raised by the farming industry. More than seven years have elapsed since proposals for post-Brexit farm policy were first floated, when Welsh Ministers spoke of a “once in a generation opportunity to redesign an agriculture policy framework in a way that is uniquely Welsh, that reflects Welsh needs and strengths”.
Meanwhile the environmental and food resilience threats are more urgent now than ever, and pressure on public finances is growing.
Soil Association Head of Policy Wales Andrew Tuddenham said: “After years of debate and refinement the time for delay has now passed. That’s why we support the launch of the new SFS in January 2026.
“The Universal layer is a helpful step forward, but the change that it represents cannot be underestimated. We welcome the new scheme requirements intended to help farmers assess their carbon balance and the requirements to protect soils from damage from high-risk cropping and management. And we’re pleased to see that support for organic farmers will be continued within the Optional layer of the scheme in 2026 alongside support for organic conversion.
“Success of the SFS starts with farmers joining the scheme. Welsh Government are clearly aiming to attract farmers into the Universal layer of the Sustainable Farming Scheme at an early stage.”
“On its own however the Universal layer doesn’t guarantee significant gains for nature friendly or climate resilient farming. The full return from public investment comes if the scheme inspires and helps farmers to use the Universal layer as the springboard to the Scheme’s Optional and Collaborative layer support. We have yet to see progress in the development of a truly whole-farm approach to farm advice, to help farmers make best use of the scheme and reduce unnecessary and wasteful trade-offs between food production and the environment.”
Government commitment
Farmers will have to wait for the Welsh Government to publish further details later this year to understand the full picture in terms of payments for Optional and Collaborative actions. The current, and the next government, must commit to properly funding these parts of the scheme, with an increase on the first year allocation of 30% of the budget.
Andrew said: “We need both the current and next government to also ensure that farmers have easy access to this support - so that the budget is fully used – whilst also ensuring that the budget is used effectively. Rural Payments Wales must be ready to operate these parts of the scheme well for both farmers and nature.”
Soil Association Wales has stressed that whether the scheme succeeds rests on how the combined effect of payments, budget and farm advice sustains and strengthens nature-friendly farming in Wales, and it requires government commitments to:
• accelerate work to blend green finance with public funds, helping unlock new resources to meet the true cost of securing Welsh Government’s Sustainable Land Management goals
• secure additional investment from other government budgets, in recognition of the far-reaching benefits that nature friendly farming provides
• regular and transparent monitoring of the scheme’s performance, with clear review points and backup plans if targets aren’t being met
• continuing to make use of the insights and technical input that stakeholders have proven willing to provide through the Roundtable process.
Andrew added: “The current farming support schemes in Wales haven’t delivered enough for food, farming, nature or for climate resilience. Now is the time to move forward. The SFS is a promising start - but it should only be the beginning.”
Royal Welsh Show
Soil Association will be at the Royal Welsh Show this year (21-24 July) in the Horticulture Village - Soil Association Certification and colleagues from Soil Association charity and Soil Association Exchange will be available to chat about sustainable farming including organic farming and certification.