The UK Government published a summary of recent changes to the actions and scheme information for the expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) on GOV.UK.
The majority of the updates have been implemented based on feedback from farmers, stakeholder organizations, and other experts.
The scheme’s design accommodates ongoing improvements, and we appreciate everyone who continues to contribute to shaping the SFI. Whether feedback comes from a roundtable discussion, a conversation at an auction mart, or a comment on a blog post, it helps us offer greater clarity, flexibility, and support to farmers.
The press release notes the government “understand that farmers need certainty about their obligations. Our goal is to balance the scheme’s development with clear version control, providing stability without frequent changes.”
What’s Changed in SFI Actions
The following general changes apply to all SFI actions, where relevant:
- clarified that eligible land types are defined in the SFI scheme information (section 5.1).
- explained how to obtain consent to perform actions on sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) in the SFI scheme information (section 10.3).
- published voluntary advice to help you complete the actions.
There are also specific technical changes to various SFI actions to ensure they are achievable and effective in meeting environmental goals. These include:
- clearer guidance on land eligibility and action requirements
- updated rules on performing multiple actions on the same land parcel.
Examples of these changes are included in this post.
Increased Flexibility for Rotational Actions
Previously, certain SFI actions in the expanded offer required newly established areas to remain unchanged for the duration of the action. Based on feedback, these actions can now be either rotational or static, whether the area is newly established or already existing.
For instance, CNUM3 (legume fallow) and CSAM3 (herbal leys) can now be rotated or remain static, offering greater flexibility in food production, soil health, and wildlife support.
The release states that adjustment “reflects the diverse nature of farming across the country and is intended to make SFI more accessible and practical for a wider range of farmers.”
Other changes include:
- Changes to land type due to required activities
- Clarification on eligibility of land with historic or archaeological features
- Clarification on storage
- Soil management and cover crops
- Precision farming
- Livestock grazing and shepherding on SSSI moorlan
- Applying for SFI
- There are now 102 actions available through SFI.
All the actions can be found on the ‘Find funding for land or farms’ tool on GOV.UK. There’s also a PDF version which includes all 102 SFI actions.
To learn more about how the scheme can work for your farm business, visit the dedicated SFI site.
