Responding to the Liberal Democrats’ calls for a ‘farm first’ equivalent to Teach First, designed to attract young people into farming, NFU Vice-president Rachel Hallos said: “Encouraging the next generation into farming is vital if we are to strengthen the UK’s long-term food security. Producing food for the nation has a huge range of job opportunities and career paths but more work needs to be done to showcase the sector and attract new talent.
“There is a role for everyone in farming, from farm management and crop production to roles in veterinary science, agri-engineering, food technology and environmental stewardship. Alongside training up new entrants, it’s also essential that those already working within agriculture have the opportunity to access skills training to progress their careers and ensure that the industry can keep developing for the future.
“British agriculture provides sustainable, high-quality food and plays a vital role in supporting rural communities. Inspiring young people today will safeguard our ability to feed the national tomorrow.”
Lost generation
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Tim Farron MP, recently unveiled his party’s ‘major new food security plan’ which contains the proposals for the ‘farm first’ scheme.
The party warned that the UK is facing a “lost generation of farmers” after official government statistics revealed that only 1 in 20 of farmers are aged under 35 across the UK.
Echoing the NFU’s calls for children to be taught more about where their food comes from, the party is also calling for more action to improve education about nutrition and food production to support the next generation and tackle food poverty.
“Encouraging the next generation into farming is vital if we are to strengthen the UK’s long-term food security.”
NFU Vice-president Rachel Hallos
Changes to the national curriculum
The Department for Education commissioned Professor Becky Francis to carry out a review of the national curriculum last year, during which the NFU responded to a call for evidence, outlining 15 recommendations to improve children's education around where their food comes from.
We also launched a petition, calling for young people to learn more about British food production and farming, encouraging curriculum updates to reflect the realities of the sector.
Following the publication of Professor Francis's report, the government has responded, outlining a number of key reforms that it intends to bring in from September 2028 onwards.
Professor Francis made a series of recommendations including around revisions to food education and technical qualifications. NFU Education will continue to engage with the government and education partners to ensure these opportunities are realised.
Through our Farmers for Schools programme, farmers who are NFU Education ambassadors engage with the next generation about food production and careers, working with schools to develop and inspire young people and ensure they can make informed choices about what they eat and what happens over the hedgerow to produce their food.
