Revealed: Report by the Worshipful Company of Farmers

The report, commissioned by the Worshipful Company of Farmers (WCF), was undertaken by Matt Lobley and Caroline Nye at the Centre for Rural Policy Research at the University of Exeter. It is entitled 'Future business leaders in agriculture: Who will lead the industry forward?'

While investigating the challenges and opportunities that face the current and future generations in farming, the pair identified several practical routes to bring in new entrants with fresh mindsets. As well as this, the report highlighted the importance of making the most of collaboration, networking and upskilling across the industry to create a shared vision for farming leadership. 

Master at the WCF, Richard Davies, says agriculture, like other industries, needs 'great leaders'. 

“Fundamentally, the changing farming environment means the industry needs different types of leaders, and a change in attitude to address the problematic lack of diversity and engrained ways of thinking,” he said. 

“The industry needs to recruit, develop, train, empower, and encourage a new generation of managers with the ability and willingness to see the world differently, to apply learnings from every walk of life, and to lead and manage with real skill, passion and commitment.

“The industry already has some great leaders, but to have the greatest talent pool to choose from, agriculture needs to make itself attractive to as wide a range of potential leaders, from as a broad a spectrum of society, as possible.”

The report found that a lack of new people joining the farming industry is a 'serious threat', as is the traditional pattern of succession where many children take over and stay at their home farm.  It says that successors should be more 'outward-looking', and learn business and leadership skills while also bringing in experiences from other industries. 

It adds: “The industry does not simply need new leaders, but new strategies, new understandings, and a change in attitudes. Diversity must be addressed. Gender, ethnic and cultural diversity is associated with improved business performance and is an essential part of moral justice.

“Leadership skills required in contemporary agriculture are very different to those required for past generations of managers and leaders. Therefore, strategies to promote and develop new leaders need to be adjusted to meet the challenges faced by the industry and the individuals needed to drive it forward.”

To promote the industry to others, the report suggests that educational facilites should become more inclusive and have a closer relationship with the Ministry of Defence to bring in new talent. It also adds that the industry should work with job centres and on social media, promoting elements that would be attractive to younger, diverse people - such as sustainability, technology and agro-ecology.

If you would like to read the full report, visit farmerslivery.org.uk/new-report-future-business-leaders-in-agriculture/.