皇家华人

Farmers ranked second most respected profession in UK, NFU survey reveals

10 September 2025

A tractor driving through a field with a Back British Farming Day logo

A tractor driving through a field with a Back British Farming Day logo.

As the country celebrates Back British Farming Day, the British public has once again shown unwavering support for farmers and growers, voting them as the second most respected profession in the UK for the third year running1.

The NFU鈥檚 latest Farmer Favourability Survey demonstrates the public really values farmers for producing high-quality food, caring for animals and protecting the countryside 鈥� often in the face of extreme weather and economic pressures. Ranking farmers and growers second only to our fantastic nurses, the survey also found:

  • 92% people feel it鈥檚 important Britain has a productive farming sector.
  • 89% say British farms should grow as much food as possible to support national food security.
  • More than three-quarters of respondents trust British food is produced to high-food standards, more than overseas producers.

With new Ministers in Defra, there is an opportunity to make farming鈥檚 case strongly to a new top team. As the NFU takes Back British Farming Day once again to Westminster, it is calling on government to recognise and reflect on this continued public support with policies that truly value domestic food production and farming鈥檚 environmental delivery.

NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: 鈥淏ritish farming is the bedrock of the country鈥檚 largest manufacturing sector 鈥� food and drink 鈥� worth over 拢150 billion to the economy and supporting more than four million jobs. Just as we rightly celebrate the strength of our food and drink sector, we must also recognise and invest in the people who make it possible: our farmers and growers.

鈥淏ack British Farming Day is about recognising the value of our farmers 鈥� not just for the food they produce, but for the role they play in our communities, our economy and our environment. And clearly, the public is behind us.

鈥淥ver the past decade, NFU campaigns have helped deliver landmark changes for farmers, including the introduction of 鈥楤uy British鈥� buttons on eight major supermarket websites2 and driving the launch of No. 10鈥檚 Farm to Fork Summit3. More than a quarter of a million people have also recently backed the NFU鈥檚 petition calling on the government to protect family farms from the family farm tax4.

鈥淢eanwhile, over 40,000 people agree that children should learn more about agriculture in schools5 鈥� which is why NFU Education runs programmes like Farmers for Schools6, where farmer ambassadors visit secondary schools to share their experiences and challenge misconceptions about farming. We鈥檝e also recently launched the AgriFuture Scholarship Programme7, a new initiative with the Outward Bound Trust and the British Veterinary Ethnicity and Diversity Society that offers mentoring, outdoor learning and career inspiration for young people from underrepresented backgrounds.鈥�

While the public support is hugely appreciated, many farmers and growers face growing challenges. The average farm carries significant debts just to stay afloat, while nearly half of all farm businesses are tenanted and do not own their most valuable asset 鈥� the land they farm. With the average age of a farmer now 60-years-old, long-term investment and succession planning is becoming increasingly more difficult.

Farmers continue to invest billions in the wider economy, support rural tourism and diversify their businesses to stay resilient. But to secure the future of British farming, the NFU is calling for urgent action to improve farm profitability, protect domestic food production and ensure fair standards in trade.

Tom Bradshaw added: 鈥淥ur farmers and growers are proud to produce the food that feeds the nation, while delivering for nature, rural communities and the wider economy. But they need confidence to invest for the future.

鈥淜ey to the long-term future of our farms is improving the profitability of sustainable food production. One simple thing the government can do is the right thing on inheritance tax to avoid bereaved farming families having to fork out for an unaffordable tax bill 鈥� something we know the public stands behind1e.

鈥淥ur submission to the government鈥檚 Farm Profitability Review8 outlines how it has the potential to improve competitiveness and profitability, helping to underpin national food security and meet our domestic environmental targets.

鈥淎s we mark ten years of Back British Farming Day, the NFU remains committed to championing a thriving future for British agriculture 鈥� one built on public trust, political partnership and pride in our homegrown food.鈥�

Notes to editors

  1. The Farmer Favourability Survey was conducted between 23 May and 4 June 2025, with responses from 2,000 members of the public. Survey results include:
    1. 92% of respondents feel it鈥檚 important Britain has a productive farming sector.
    2. 89% of respondents say British farms should grow as much food as possible to support national food security.
    3. 77% of respondents trust British farmers and growers more than overseas producers to meet high-food standards.
    4. 66% of respondents believe the government should overturn the family farm tax
  2. Read a summary of the NFU鈥檚 submission to the Farm Profitability Review.
  3. In 2024, major retailers added 鈥榖uy British鈥� buttons to their websites to make it easier for people to buy British food online.
  4. After three years of campaigning by the NFU, the Prime Minister held the first Farm to Fork Summit on food security at No.10 in May 2023, which delivered arrange of positive outcomes, including:
    1. Reviews into the horticulture and egg supply chains;
    2. A pot of 拢1m to help dairy businesses export; and
    3. 16 additional agri-food attach茅s to help drive exports of British food abroad and remove trade market barriers.
  5. As of writing, more than 275,000 people have backed our campaign to that threatens the future of British farming.
  6. Read about the Farmers for Schools Programme.
  7. Read about the AgriFuture Scholarship Programme.
  8. As of writing, more than 40,000 people have so far signed our petition calling for an updated school national curriculum that represents British food, farming and our food security fairly across the education system.