The Farmer Favourability survey sought responses from 2,000 members of the public between 23 May and 4 June 2025, with the results demonstrating that 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.听
Farmers and growers were ranked second only to our fantastic nurses.
Results found that 92% of the public feel it鈥檚 important Britain has a productive farming sector, with 89% also saying British farms should grow as much food as possible to support national food security.
More than three-quarters of respondents also trust British food more than food from the rest of the world.
View the full results in our Back British Farming Day 鈥� celebrating 10 years report.听
鈥楾he public is behind us鈥�
With new Ministers in Defra following last week's Cabinet reshuffle, there is an opportunity to make farming鈥檚 case strongly to a new top team.
Today, the NFU will once again be taking Back British Farming Day to Westminster with its MP reception and will be calling on the government to recognise and reflect on this continued public support with policies that truly value domestic food production and farming鈥檚 environmental delivery.
Citing the value of British farming to the food and drink sector, NFU President Tom Bradshaw reminded the government that, 鈥渏ust 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 鈥� our farmers and growers鈥�.
鈥�When we鈥檙e out in our fields, sheds and glasshouses we never take it for granted and it spurs us on to get the food onto their plates.鈥�
NFU President Tom Bradshaw
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� he added.
A decade of achievements
Over 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 websites
- driving the launch of No. 10鈥檚 Farm to Fork Summit
- more than a quarter of a million people have recently backed the NFU鈥檚 family farm tax petition
See the last decade of achievements since the first Back British Farming Day in 2015.
NFU President Tom Bradshaw added: 鈥淢eanwhile, more than 40,000 people agree that children should learn more about agriculture in schools 鈥� which is why NFU Education runs programmes like Farmers for Schools, where farmer ambassadors visit secondary schools to share their experiences and challenge misconceptions about farming.
鈥淲e鈥檝e also recently launched the AgriFuture Scholarship Programme, 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�
Securing the future
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.
Confidence to invest
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 behind.鈥� Of those surveyed in the NFU's Farmer Favourability survey, 66% said they believe the government should overturn the family farm tax.
The NFU's submission to the government鈥檚 Farm Profitability Review outlines how it has the potential to improve competitiveness and profitability, helping to underpin national food security and meet our domestic environmental targets.
Tom concluded: 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�
