The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) is the centrepiece of England’s farm support for environmental land management. It is, at once, an opportunity and a compliance challenge. Below we answer all the common questions people search for, and at each step we show how a practical digital approach solves the pain. Where a government or RPA source is directly relevant I cite it.
What is SFI in the UK?
SFI is a government-funded scheme that pays farmers to carry out land management actions that deliver environmental benefits. Actions are requestable choices - things like soil assessments, herbal leys, winter bird food and hedgerow work - each with specific requirements, timings and evidence obligations. SFI agreements are normally multi-year and tied to specific land parcels. defrafarming.blog.gov.uk+1
How JustFarm helps: SFI is rule-heavy. JustFarm puts those rules against your map, so you see which fields qualify and what evidence you need, without memorising long guidance documents.
Who qualifies for SFI? Who can apply?
- Any agricultural business with eligible land below the moorland line can apply, provided the land is mapped correctly on the digital maps linked to your Single Business Identifier (SBI).
- Some actions are restricted by land use and cover. Always check the action guidance before applying. Farming for the future
How JustFarm helps: enter your SBI once and JustFarm auto-maps fields. We highlight eligible areas so you only apply where you truly qualify.
What does 'SFI approved' mean?
When an SFI application is accepted you have an SFI agreement for the chosen actions on the declared land. Being 'SFI approved' means the RPA has accepted your entry and you must meet the stated requirements to receive payments.
How JustFarm helps: JustFarm tracks the life of the agreement - start dates, review windows and annual declarations - so you never miss a compliance milestone.
What are the benefits of joining SFI?
- Direct payments for doing specified environmental actions.
- Support for soil health, biodiversity and water quality on your farm.
- Potential complementarity with other schemes such as Countryside Stewardship and capital grants. Farming for the future
How JustFarm helps: understanding benefits is easy when you can view the predicted income per action by field. Our dashboard shows the money side plus the compliance tasks, so you can choose profitable, deliverable actions.
How long do SFI agreements last?
Most SFI agreements are for three years, though some legacy offers and re-opened rounds have specific terms. Always check the terms on your agreement. defrafarming.blog.gov.uk
How JustFarm helps: JustFarm stores agreement durations and prompts you when renewal windows open, or when you can rotate actions across the farm.
How much are SFI payments?
Payment rates vary by action. Some high-value actions pay hundreds per hectare per year (for example certain habitat or flower-mix actions), others are lower for assessments. Payment tables are published per action in the SFI handbook and on RPA/GOV.UK pages. Exact rates depend on the action and year. Farming for the future
How JustFarm helps: We link the published rate to each eligible field so you can see the expected income at a glance and build a realistic farm budget.
How is SFI paid?
Payments are typically made in instalments through the Rural Payments Agency once you meet the annual requirements and after any verification checks. The RPA administers grants and handles declarations and inspections. defrafarming.blog.gov.uk
How JustFarm helps: build your audit trail in real time so claims match your evidence. When payments are due, you and your agent can produce the correct export reports instantly.
What is the SFI annual declaration?
The annual declaration is your formal confirmation that you have complied, or expect to have complied, with the terms of your SFI agreement for the year. It is submitted to the RPA within a defined window towards the end of your agreement year. Timely submission is essential for payment continuity. defrafarming.blog.gov.uk
How JustFarm helps: use JustFarm to run a pre-declaration check. Our dashboard shows what evidence is present, what’s missing and which fields are ready, so the declaration is not a guessing exercise.
What is the 7-year rule for farmers?
You must retain records related to SFI agreements for a minimum period after the agreement ends. The standard requirement set by the RPA is to keep records for at least 7 years from the agreement end or termination date, because the RPA may audit historic activity. defrafarming.blog.gov.uk
How JustFarm helps: all evidence is stored securely in the cloud and retained for the required period, so you meet the 7-year rule without filing cabinets.
Can you make money with SFI?
Yes, you can receive meaningful payments, but SFI is not a straight profit guarantee. Payments are for specified environmental outcomes and must be balanced against management costs and any yield impacts. Smart planning increases the chance of net benefit. Farming for the future
How JustFarm helps: our planner models income versus effort. We show where actions overlap or conflict so you can build a coherent, profitable plan.
How long is the SFI application process and who pays SFI?
- The application window varies by year and the RPA controls when offers open or re-open.
- Funding is paid from government through DEFRA and administered by the RPA. defrafarming.blog.gov.uk+1
How JustFarm helps: we monitor scheme openings and changes. If a new offer or capital grants round opens we alert you so you can prepare applications early.
Why has SFI sometimes been closed or re-opened?
SFI and associated offers can open, close or be reformed in response to policy choices, budget constraints, demand pressure or scheme changes. Past re-openings and pauses reflect adjustments the government makes as schemes mature. defrafarming.blog.gov.uk
How JustFarm helps: you do not need to watch GOV.UK all day. Subscribe to JustFarm scheme alerts and be notified when offers open, close or change so you can act quickly.
What does it mean to be SFI certified?
There is no single ‘SFI certification’ badge beyond holding and complying with an SFI agreement. Certification in wider green schemes may have their own standards. The important part is meeting the evidence and reporting standards of your SFI agreement.
How JustFarm helps: JustFarm helps you reach that practical standard. Our outputs are audit friendly and match the RPA expectations.
How many farmers get subsidies and how much on average?
Subsidy totals and averages depend on the year and scheme. Broadly, government farming support has historically been a material income stream for many farms, but the distribution varies widely by farm type, size and the mix of schemes used. For specific national totals consult DEFRA and RPA annual statistics. defrafarming.blog.gov.uk
How JustFarm helps: we do not promise fixed incomes, but we do ensure your claimable activity is recorded properly so you capture what you are entitled to.
What happens if you fail an inspection or are non-compliant?
Serious, repeated or intentional breaches can lead to penalties, withholding of payments, agreement termination and exclusion from future support for a period. The RPA conducts checks and can make compliance enforcement decisions. Always keep evidence and be proactive about corrections. defrafarming.blog.gov.uk
How JustFarm helps: the very best mitigation is preparedness. JustFarm creates an audit trail field by field so you can demonstrate compliance immediately.
What about politics - which party ‘owns’ SFI?
SFI is a DEFRA policy implemented across governments. Its design and detail may be amended by successive administrations. It is not a party-owned product but a public scheme administered by government. Expect policy change over time. defrafarming.blog.gov.uk
How JustFarm helps: political shifts are outside your control. What you can control is your readiness. JustFarm is politically neutral; it prepares your farm for whatever policy changes come next.
Practical checklist - what to do right now
- Check which SFI actions you already qualify for and what land is eligible.
- JustFarm: import your SBI, auto-map fields and see eligibility in minutes.
- Build a realistic plan for your fields that balances income and workload.
- JustFarm: Planner shows compatible actions and money per hectare.
- Capture evidence consistently, in the field. Photos, invoices, maps and notes.
- JustFarm: Companion app timestamps geotagged photos and links them to fields.
- Run a pre-declaration audit before the RPA window opens.
- JustFarm: dashboard runs a gap-analysis and highlights missing evidence.
- Keep records for seven years.
- JustFarm: we retain evidence securely and export reports for audits.
Frequently asked quick answers
- Q: Who pays SFI?
A: Funding comes from DEFRA and is administered by the RPA. defrafarming.blog.gov.uk - Q: Are SFI payments stable forever?
A: No. Payments and offers can be reformed; that is why planning matters. defrafarming.blog.gov.uk - Q: Does joining SFI mean extra inspections?
A: Registered agreement holders are subject to RPA checks and must keep evidence. defrafarming.blog.gov.uk
Final word: SFI is an opportunity. Treat compliance like the business it is.
SFI is designed to reward good environmental practice, but that reward is conditional on correct delivery and evidence. The landscape is complex, changeable and, frankly, bureaucratic. That means you should treat scheme administration as an operational task, not an afterthought.
JustFarm is built to make that task straightforward. From SBI mapping, to field-level action guidance, to in-field photo capture, to gap analysis and exportable reports, our platform converts DEFRA requirements into everyday work your team can do without stress.
Take action: If you want to stop guessing and start being audit-ready, book a demo of JustFarm today. See how your farm maps to SFI actions, what evidence you already have, and where to focus before the next declaration window. Your time is best spent farming. Let technology handle the paperwork.
Sources and further reading
- DEFRA and RPA SFI updates and guidance pages. defrafarming.blog.gov.uk+1