Bishop of Lincoln asks about closure of Sustainable Farming Incentive

The Bishop of Lincoln received the following written answer on 28th March 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Lincoln His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support farmers to manage land for both food and nature following the closure of the Sustainable Farming Incentive.

Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab, DEFRA): The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) is an important offer, but it is part of a wider package. We remain committed to investing in Environmental Land Management schemes. We plan to launch the new Higher Tier scheme later this year; Capital Grants will re-open in summer 2025; we continue to move forward with Landscape Recovery; and we are increasing payment rates for Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) agreement holders to recognise their ongoing commitment to delivering environmental outcomes.

Hansard