Action must be taken to address workforce shortages in UK agriculture or the country could face a food security crisis, Arla Foods has warned.
The report from the dairy co-operative, Securing the Future of Food, found fewer young people are considering careers in farming due to a lack of awareness and knowledge, unclear routes into the sector and a perception of poor pay and working conditions.
Created by Arla in partnership with Harper Adams University, the report asserted the sector faces a demographic cliff-edge, with 40% of English farm holders over 65, while only 5% are under 35.
Only 4% of young people are currently employed in food and farming, but around two-fifths (38%) of respondents to a YouGov poll of 18 to 24-year-olds featured in the study said they would be open to a career in the sector.
The same poll found 38% considered a career in farming to positive, as opposed to 35% who thought it negative.
Read more: Farmers ‘could make more money saving the environment’
“The agriculture sector plays a crucial role in providing naturally produced food that is accessible, and farmers work hard to produce it in a way that cares for the world around us,” said Arla Foods MD Bas Padberg. “At the heart of all of this is people.”
According to Padberg, an opportunity has arisen to ensure the UK’s supply chain continues to be resilient but, if it is not taken, he said there could be “threats to the UK’s food security, as well as to the affordability and accessibility of food”.
The report has called for a unified effort across industry, schools, colleges, universities and government to combat the problem.
The recommendations include: a national campaign to showcase the diversity and rewards of careers in agriculture; strengthening agricultural education and early exposure for young people, embedding food and farming into the curriculum; and creating clear routes into the sector, supporting employers to recruit, train, and develop the workforce.
“No single organisation can address these challenges alone,” the report said. “While we recognise our recommendations are not the only challenges to be addressed, success requires a unified effort.”
Read more: No further concessions on Inheritance Tax, says Defra
The report, published today and released at a Parliamentary event for key political stakeholders, also drew on a survey of Arla’s 1,900 UK farmer owners in summer 2025, which revealed that finding people with the right skills and experience to work on farms was a chronic issue.
The survey found around five in every six farmers who tried to fill a vacancy received either few qualified applicants, or no applicants at all, a problem that has worsened over time.
“The findings make clear that attracting young talent is not a challenge that farmers can solve on their own,” said Arla farmer David Christensen.
”It demands urgent collective action. If we want a resilient, competitive and sustainable agrifood sector – if we want abundant, affordable and tasty food to be delivered reliably to our supermarket shelves – we must invest now in the people who will produce it.”
No comments yet