Small farms excluded from vital farm payment scheme

Date Published: 25th February 2026

Community Supported Agriculture UK (CSA UK) is extremely disappointed that the Government’s 2026 Sustainable Farm Initiative excludes farmers and growers operating on fewer than three hectares of land.

For small CSA farms, already struggling in a hostile business environment, this announcement is a death knell when it could have been the start of a real push for food resilience in communities across the UK.

Suzy Russell, CSA Network co-ordinator, said: “The application of the three hectare limit is a huge blow to hundreds of our farmers and growers who are providing climate-friendly agroecological food, health and employment to communities across England.” 

Small farms and horticulture enterprises like community supported agriculture schemes are the lifeblood of the Government’s drive towards thriving rural communities, innovation in agriculture, and improvements in sustainability and resilience. They allow new entrants into farming, trial new methods, increase resilience and decrease reliance on chemical inputs.

“Our CSAs, with their short supply chains, offer a brilliant response to the desperate and well-reported need to address food supply issues and potential food shortages.” Suzy added.

This is the fourth policy change in 18 months for small farms. The five hectare limit was dropped in July 2024, too late for them to access SFI that year. In 2025 the scheme was suddenly closed when many of our farmers and growers were still preparing their applications. Now, in 2026, they are being once more excluded.  

The Government only recently committed to a horticultural growth strategy. There is a need for an immediate market garden support scheme, in time to stop hundreds of small farms and decades of horticultural knowledge disappearing just when it’s most needed.

Contact: Suzy Russell cooridnator@communitysupportedagriculture.org.uk / 07760141822