Why Britain’s farms need more Black and minority owners

In a personal essay, a Black entrepreneur-farmer reflects on his rarity in a sector where a 2025 Defra questionnaire reported 99.7% of respondents as white. He notes that many British minorities, despite rural roots abroad, lack clear routes to acquire land or gain farming experience. The piece critiques inheritance-driven land concentration and stresses that without networks or family farms, aspiring farmers face steep barriers.

He proposes that major landowners—including the National Trust, the Duchy of Cornwall, the Crown Estate, the Church of England, universities and local councils—could launch starter farms, low-cost tenancies, mentorship programmes and targeted apprenticeships. He also calls on supermarkets, which wield significant influence over food production, to create guaranteed market pathways for new growers. By injecting diverse cultural knowledge and innovative business models, the sector could better address climate pressures while preserving traditional expertise. The author’s own unconventional path—from Birmingham allotments to a Devon farm—underscores the need for more inclusive entry points.