Secretary of State's address to CLA Rural Business Conference - Nov 20

Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds delivered a keynote speech at the 2025 CLA Rural Business Conference.

"Thank you, Bella, for that introduction. It's a real pleasure to be here with you all. Thank you Gavin, and the CLA, for inviting me to speak today. Congratulations once again on your appointment, it was good to meet you in your first hour and I really look forward to working with you.  

I'd also like to thank Victoria for her recent leadership of the CLA, and the way she championed rural communities across the country.

The theme of today's conference is “Driving rural growth” and as Bella said, these words aren't just your conference slogan, they are at the heart of this government's Plan for Change to grow our economy.

And I want to be clear from the outset of my speech: this government sees the rural economy as absolutely fundamental to our growth mission. When rural communities succeed, the whole country succeeds. 

My vision is to grow the rural economy. A countryside with thriving businesses. Where good jobs are created. And communities flourish.  

I listened carefully to what Gavin had to say this morning and also when he gave his candid views yesterday.    

I know that the sector and the government haven't always seen eye to eye and haven't always agreed.  

But, today I want to focus on the future of how Defra will work in partnership with you and across government to address the unique challenges and opportunities that you face.  

I am lucky to have an excellent team, including Angela Eagle, who is with us this morning. Angela brings decades of experience and together, we're determined to deliver for you. 

But before I talk about that partnership. I want to tell you a bit about myself because I think it's important that you know where I'm coming from.

I used to be the City Minister but I have always been more of a country girl than a city girl.  

I grew up in Staffordshire, my parents live in rural Shropshire, and I live down a country lane in the Chilterns. 

My Wycombe constituency is a semi-rural seat and I represent a vibrant rural economy, with 89 farms, fantastic country pubs, local shops and community hubs.  

This time last year, the CLA organised for me to visit many different farms in my constituency and I want to say a big thank-you to my constituent Ted Howard-Jones and the CLA's Mike Simms. It was tipping it down all day. I stood in a huge grain store while the farmer explained the challenge of keeping grain dry in relentless weather. This was just one of my many visits and I know it's just one challenge among the many you face.  

Whether facing extreme weather, economic pressures, or changing markets, people in our countryside have consistently shown remarkable strength and adaptability. 

Today I want to talk to you about three things:  

*Unlocking rural growth   

*Backing farmers to improve profitability  

*And providing the stability and clarity businesses need to invest with confidence. 

First then let me turn to unlocking growth for the rural sector.   

I mentioned the extreme weather conditions you face. Many of you will have felt Storm Claudia's impact over the weekend. Extreme weather isn't just a future risk – it's today's reality.  

And that's why the government is investing a record £10.5 billion in flood defences protecting nearly 900,000 properties, boosting drainage board funding, and supporting rural communities through our Flood Resilience Partnership. 

Water security is fundamental and I'm glad that Gavin spoke about this in his speech. Without it, there's no food security or rural growth. 

And drought is also a challenge. This year we had record breaking dry weather. We must store water effectively for resilience. I'm working closely with Steve Reed, the Secretary of State for Housing and also the Housing Minister, Matthew Pennycook, to clarify planning practice for the permitted development right to support the creation of on-farm reservoirs and other vital infrastructure you need. 

But resilience isn't just about weather. It's protecting herds and flocks from disease that can devastate businesses overnight. 

Farmers facing the risk of diseases know this all too well. 

We're acting quickly when threats to your livestock emerge and we're transforming biosecurity for the long-term. Including by investing over £1 billion for a new National Biosecurity Centre at Weybridge – detecting threats earlier, tracking diseases faster and responding more effectively.  

This is about giving you the confidence to invest in your future. 

But resilience alone isn't enough. I've discussed with the CLA the huge growth potential of rural businesses and I want to work in partnership with you to unlock that potential.  

Rural Britain already contributes £259 billion to our economy and supports over half a million businesses. And tourism is a key part of that. 

It's easy to see why with so many attractions, from farm shops with great local produce to the stunning national parks that have such a huge benefit to people's mental and physical wellbeing.  

You play such an important role as custodians of these landscapes and communities, yet I know barriers can hold you back. Rural challenges don't always fit into neat departmental boxes.  

Our Rural Taskforce ensures that your voice is being heard across government. We've identified specific barriers holding rural communities back and we will publish the results of the taskforce early next year with over 50 interventions to tackle these barriers.  

But we're also acting now on: housing, energy, transport, connectivity and rural crime. 

On housing, local people priced out of villages is not only wrong, it's an economic problem – rural businesses can't recruit, communities age and growth stalls.  

That's why our new Social and Affordable Homes Programme is designed to support the greater diversity of supply needed. This includes homes in rural areas, with flexible grant rates that ensure rural developments get the backing they require. 

And Rural Exception Sites help local people access affordable housing so they can stay in their communities. 

On Energy, the rural sector has enormous opportunity in home-grown renewable energy. Land managers are uniquely placed to deliver this – from solar on farm buildings to community energy schemes. 

Together, with good clean energy, we can solve the issues of energy security and improve affordability. This will bring investment and good jobs to rural areas.  

And when it comes to the wider issue of land use, we need to discuss the opportunities for multiple uses of land. How we can deliver for food and nature; or energy and food on the same land; rather than it being presented as a binary choice. This is all key to the work we are doing on the Land Use Framework.   

On transport, better bus services are on their way for rural communities. Our Bus Services Act protects vital routes from sudden cuts and gives local leaders control to improve services, reconnecting people to jobs, healthcare and opportunities.   

And it's not just physical connectivity, we are also committed to improving digital connectivity in rural areas. Project Gigabit is improving access to fast, reliable gigabit-capable broadband in rural communities. Our Shared Rural Network has already delivered 4G coverage to over 95% of UK.  

We're also tackling the things that undermine rural confidence and security. 

Livestock theft, machinery theft, fly-tipping – these aren't minor inconveniences. They're direct attacks on rural businesses and productivity. 

We're cracking down on waste criminals blighting our countryside. 

We've boosted funding for the rural crime unit and we've worked in partnership with the National Police Chiefs' Council on the Rural and Wildlife Crime strategy, backing it with the full weight of government. The strategy will be published later this month, setting out how we'll tackle rural crime head-on.   

This is partnership work in action. And nowhere is that partnership more important than with the farmers who are the backbone of rural communities. 

Second, I want to speak about improving farming profitability. 

Just this morning Defra has published the latest farm business income statistics. These are encouraging with average farm incomes increasing by £21,500 to £71,200 on average.  

In the past year alone, average income from diversification has grown by 17%. And average income from agri-environment schemes has more than doubled.

This is fantastic news but I know this year has brought a difficult harvest. I know that more challenges lie ahead.  

I've seen how hard you work, whilst facing enormous pressures you have continued to feed the nation and produce food to some of the highest standards in the world.  

Earlier this year we appointed Baroness Batters to lead a farming profitability review. This is the first time government has commissioned a comprehensive review of the barriers and opportunities for farm profitability. We plan to publish the review before Christmas.  

Minette brings years of experience as a leader in agriculture. We've had some very constructive conversations and a big theme we've discussed has been the importance of the government and sector working in partnership, together.  

This underlines our approach. Working with you, the experts, we will improve the conditions for British farm businesses to thrive.  

While Baroness Batters has been conducting her review, we haven't been sitting still. We're getting more money into the pockets of farmers than ever before to help you build more sustainable and profitable businesses.  

We've unlocked new markets for British produce with the trade deals with India, China and USA. We've committed nearly £250 million in productivity grants to drive innovation and new technology. And Gavin, you joined me when we appointed the first ever Commissioner for Tenant Farming, Alan Laidlaw. 

Over half of England's farmland – more than 50,000 farm businesses – are already benefiting from our record investment in Environmental Land Management schemes. 

These schemes recognise something fundamental: restoring nature isn't a burden on your businesses, it's an investment in your future. That's something that applies to every rural landowner and business.  

Healthy soils, abundant pollinators, clean water – all are essential for the environment and your bottom line. They provide the natural resilience that protects your crops, reduces your costs, and secures your productivity for generations to come. 

 Third I want to talk about providing you stability and clarity. From day one, I've heard loud and clear how important that is for you to plan for the future. 

I recognise that mistakes were made earlier this year, and that's why I acted quickly - extending Countryside Stewardship Mid-Tier agreements and opening applications for the new and improved Higher-Tier offer.  

Although 2,800 farmers have now responded to the Mid-Tier extensions, there are many who are yet to respond. I urge all those who have not yet responded to do so by the 27 November deadline.  

I am determined to provide you that same stability going forward. 

Angela and I know how important it is to get the reformed SFI offer right. 

It's our most popular scheme with 39,000 live agreements and it's top of my inbox to get the offer right for you. It's urgent, but it is also complex and must work for the years to come.   

Over the course of this year, the team have worked closely with the CLA and other stakeholders to consider improvements which build on what has been working well in SFI and addressing what hasn't worked so well.      

I'm now considering how to change the scheme so that it better supports sustainable farming and drives growth. The changes we are considering will be an evolution not a revolution – because I know you need stability.  

We'll introduce improved budgetary controls to help money reach more farmers and focus on the most impactful actions to benefit the environment and which work alongside your business. 

Full scheme details – including the budget, timings, and eligibility criteria – will be published well ahead of launch, giving you time to plan. 

That's the stability you asked for. And that's what I'm committed to delivering. 

So let me be clear about what we're building together: a rural economy that thrives with sustainable, profitable farm businesses that can plan for the longer term. 

Let me take you back to that grain store I mentioned earlier. 

Standing there with rain hammering on the roof, watching a farmer work out how to protect their harvest – that stayed with me. Not just because of the practical challenge, but because of what it represented. 

Someone solving problems that many people never think about, so that we can put food on our tables. 

That's what this is about. Backing the people who feed this nation and fuel the rural economy.  

A rural Britain where you don't just survive, but thrive.  

Over the coming months you'll see that strategy take shape. The Batters Review and Environmental Improvement Plan will be published before Christmas, followed by the Land Use Framework, and Farming Roadmap early next year.  

These aren't separate initiatives – they form a coherent strategy that gives rural communities a bright future.  

A future that we will build together.  

Thank you."