There’s some genuinely good news in the latest Defra figures on organic farming. UK organic land reached 540,000 hectares in 2025. That’s a 7.3% rise, and the highest total recorded in over ten years. For a sector that’s spent years trying to make the case for lower-input farming systems, this is definitely a meaningful milestone.
But spend more than a few seconds looking at the data and the headline starts to look more complicated. That’s because the growth isn’t happening evenly. For farmers and farming businesses in England and Wales, the picture is considerably less encouraging than the top line suggests.
Scotland leads, England and Wales lag
The headline rise is almost entirely a Scotland story. Land entering conversion to organic farming in Scotland surged by 115% in 2025, rising from 26,000 hectares to 56,000 hectares. Scotland now has a 3.3% organic land share, up from 1.8% in 2021. That means it’s closing in on the Scottish Government's target to double organic farmland during the current parliamentary term.
By contrast, England saw a 23% rise in land moving into conversion, taking it from 19,600 hectares to 24,200 hectares. That sounds significant until you hold it next to Scotland's figures. Wales recorded a four per cent rise in land entering conversion but saw fully certified organic land fall by six per cent.
The Soil Association is clear about what’s driving the shift, having tracked these trends closely. Alison Muirhead, senior commercial manager at Soil Association Certification, pointed to rising fertiliser costs, geopolitical instability and growing consumer demand for sustainable produce. These are the key forces behind more farmers looking seriously at organic systems.
As she put it, farmers are increasingly recognising that lower-input systems can deliver both environmental and financial benefits. That’s particularly true as input costs have climbed and supply chains have been disrupted.
Why are England and Wales falling behind?
Above all else, the gap between Scotland and the rest of the UK is down to a policy gap.
Scotland has a funded Organic Action Plan and clear government targets. Not to mention a scheme structure that actively supports farmers through the conversion process. England and Wales don’t. The Soil Association has been calling urgently for Organic Action Plans in both nations. And it’s difficult to miss the frustration in its response to these figures.
The practical consequence is that the UK's organic market is being supplied increasingly by imports rather than British producers. At the same time, the Soil Association's 2026 Organic Market Report shows the market has now reached £3.9 billion and continues to grow. That’s a missed commercial opportunity for English and Welsh farm businesses. It also has wider implications for food security and supply chain resilience, which the sector has been trying to raise up the political agenda for some time.
Those with a keen interest in the sector will know that the SFI26 scheme opens its first application window in June. It includes actions that support sustainable land management. But without a specific organic conversion pathway, the structural incentive that drove Scotland's numbers simply doesn’t exist in the same way for farmers south of the border.
What this means if you work in the sector
Thinking about a farming career? Or maybe you have to make hiring decisions within agriculture? Here’s why this story matters. By changing what happens on the land, organic and lower-input systems change the skills required to work on it too.
A farm transitioning to organic needs people who understand soil biology, integrated pest management, rotation planning and the compliance requirements of certification. Agronomists with organic experience are already in demand. Growers, farm managers and technical specialists who can navigate these systems confidently are harder to find than employers often expect.
If England does eventually follow Scotland's lead (stronger policy support and a proper conversion pathway) the demand for people with those skills will grow. I’ve been recruiting across the land-based sector for over 25 years, and skills gaps tend to arrive faster than people expect once the policy framework shifts.
Whether you’re a candidate building expertise in sustainable farming or a business thinking about what your workforce will need to look like in three to five years, this is a story worth following.
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