Claim in The Economist that farming is irrelevant to the economy is ‘simply wrong’

02 September 2025

NFU Deputy President David Exwood

Writing to The Economist, NFU Deputy President David Exwood quoted the value of the food and drink sector to the economy – estimated at £153.2 billion – in response to the magazine's commentary that farming is “almost irrelevant to the British economy”. 

The article – ‘In some ways, rural Britain is changing faster than its cities’ – states that “it is often said that farming is almost irrelevant to the British economy, and this is true. What is less appreciated is that farming is barely relevant even to the rural economy”.

The article details what it refers to as the “churning countryside” and goes on to describe how farmers have changed the landscape. 

Read the NFU's letter in response:

To the editor,

The idea that farming is “irrelevant” to the rural economy is simply wrong.

British farming underpins the UK’s largest manufacturing sector: food and drink, which is worth £153.2 billion to the economy and supports 4.2 million jobs. If that’s “barely relevant”, then so is the weekly shop, the school lunch and the pint pulled at the local pub.

In Suffolk – where your article argues farming is irrelevant – agriculture alone contributes £1.4 billion to the local economy and supports more than 8,000 jobs. And nationally, in 2024, British farmers spent over £20 billion on goods and services, from feed and fertiliser to energy and veterinary care, sustaining thousands of jobs across the supply chain.

Farming also plays a crucial role in rural tourism, contributing £11.5 billion annually. Thousands of farmers and growers offer accommodation, catering and recreational activities, all while maintaining the beautiful landscapes that attract millions of visitors from across the globe each year.

Just this week, we’ve seen a rise in applications to agricultural colleges – hardly a sign of declining relevance in the sector. It’s a vote of confidence in its future.

Even Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer once recognised the sector’s importance, stating that he knows a thriving farming sector is vital for the economy and the nation's future, and agriculture has been recognised as one of the government’s priorities in its own Industrial Strategy.

Farming isn’t fading into irrelevance. It’s evolving, adapting and driving rural Britain forward. The real problem isn’t that farming’s out of touch – it’s that too many commentators are.

NFU Deputy President David Exwood

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