The most comprehensive map of public funding for agricultural research ever compiled sets out how the UK can strengthen farm profitability, food security and resilience while preparing agriculture for the challenges of decades ahead.
The State of Agricultural Research & Innovation 2026 report, produced by the Centre for Agricultural Research Impact (Ag.Impact), will launch on 20 October at a forum in London to discuss the findings and next steps.
The first in a planned annual series, it analyses £1.2 billion of public funding for agricultural research between 2022 and 2026 and compares investment with the priorities of more than 600 survey respondents, including more than 300 farmers, alongside interviews and workshops.
It finds strong agreement across farmers, researchers and other stakeholders for research to address real farming challenges, have practical applications and involve farmers and growers from the outset. For most farmers surveyed, profitable farming is the top priority.
The report identifies opportunities to strengthen the link between research investment and these needs, while developing the long-term evidence and solutions agriculture will need as it faces growing pressure to produce food, restore nature and adapt to climate change and extreme weather.
Professor Tom MacMillan, Chief Executive of Ag.Impact, said: “Research must help farming respond to today’s pressures and prepare for the challenges ahead. Farmers and researchers are telling us they want work to answer real questions, grounded in what happens on farms and producing evidence they can use.
“This report gives us a clearer picture of where funding is going and how this compares with what people need. There are strong foundations to build on, and we can see where changes could make research more beneficial to farming, anticipate future needs and deliver greater public value.”
The findings emphasise the UK’s strengths in foundational science and the applied research capabilities retained by specialist institutes and agricultural universities. They also recognise funders and research organisations are already developing new ways to involve farmers and improve impact.
For example, forage breeding at Aberystwyth University’s Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) is an example of how sustained research can help futureproof agriculture. Researchers and industry partners have worked on grasses and legumes for decades, with new grass varieties taking 15–20 years to reach farms.
This timeframe requires stable partnerships, staged funding and clear routes from early science to commercial use. Regular discussions between IBERS and its industry partners help bring together research with farmers’ needs and funding opportunities, demonstrating the value of public investment and industry collaboration over the long term.
Defra’s ADOPT programme of funding, delivered by Innovate UK through the Farming Innovation Programme, is also highlighted as a major step forward. It enables groups of farmers to test their own ideas on farm, with research support and results shared to benefit others.
But the report also finds interdisciplinary and cross-cutting projects account for only around 7% of the funding analysed. It identifies scope for greater coordination across funders, research organisations and the UK’s four nations, with farmers and other stakeholders actively involved in shaping priorities.
It recommends building on existing progress through more accessible farmer-centred research programmes, regular foresight into emerging challenges and reliable long-term funding pathways. Strategic investment in research infrastructure is also needed, including farm networks, skills and data-sharing, alongside specialist facilities and long-term experiments.
Professor MacMillan added: “ADOPT shows the sector can rise to the challenge of putting farmers at the centre of research. Alongside this practical work, we need sustained investment in programmes preparing for the future, where decisions made today will shape the options available to farmers decades from now.
“Better coordination helps organisations share plans, avoid unnecessary duplication and make more of the expertise and resources we already have. We want this evidence to be a useful tool for funders as they decide what to support next.”
Ag.Impact will update the analysis annually and work with research organisations and funders to strengthen the impact and public value of agricultural research.
The report and an interactive dashboard are available at www.ag-impact.org/sari.
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Media enquiries:
Please contact Katherine Lewis, Head of Engagement, Ag.Impact, on 07765 256817 or Katherine.Lewis@ag-impact.org
Notes to editors
The analysis covers most relevant public research funding for 2022–2026, rather than all agricultural research expenditure. Data for 2026 are incomplete. Private-sector investment is not comprehensively mapped.
The survey received 604 responses: 314 farmers, 194 researchers and 96 other stakeholders. The study also included 21 in-depth interviews, stakeholder workshops and a citizen dialogue process.
The report was supported by a Steering Group representing major public funders, universities and specialist research organisations. Membership does not imply endorsement of all findings.
The Centre for Agricultural Research Impact (Ag.Impact) is a UK not-for-profit working to make UK agricultural research and education more useful to farming and to the public.
