State of Agricultural Research & Innovation

Explore the findings

How is public money spent on agricultural research, and what do people expect it to achieve?

The State of Agricultural Research & Innovation (SARI) provides the clearest picture to date of public funding for UK agricultural research: where investment is going, what farmers and researchers expect from it, and where there are opportunities to increase its impact.

Drawing on analysis of £1.2 billion of funding awarded between 2022 and 2026, alongside the views of more than 600 farmers, researchers and other stakeholders, SARI explores how closely public investment reflects the challenges and priorities facing farming.

The findings show strong foundations, including world-class scientific expertise and a growing focus on farmer-centred innovation. They also point to practical opportunities to strengthen the impact of agricultural research: better coordination, more accessible research programmes, reliable long-term funding, and strategic investment in skills, facilities, farm networks and data.

1. Read the SARI report

What do £1.2 billion of project funding and over 600 survey responses show us about agricultural research?

Download SARI

Want more detail?

See how we gathered, analysed and made sense of the data in our methodology paper.

2. Explore data

Dig deeper into the evidence behind SARI. Explore the research projects we analysed and what people told us through the survey.

Funding data

See where £1.2 billion of research funding is invested

Survey data

See what more than 600 respondents expect

Research infrastructure

Explore what researchers say they need to support them

3. Get in touch

Interested in what SARI means for your organisation, or have thoughts on what should be included next time?

About the State of Agricultural Research & Innovation (SARI)

Advised by a group drawn from research funders, universities and farming, SARI gives a comprehensive, independent look at what agricultural research the UK is funding, how it compares to what farmers and the public say is needed on the ground, and when it might make a difference in practice. We are grateful to the SARI Steering Group who is helping us make the review useful to the whole sector; the methods, findings and conclusions are ours.

SARI will be a definitive annual assessment of agricultural research priorities, funding, activity, impact and capacity, to catalyse strategic collaboration among UK research providers and funders.

This independent review has been produced with the help of people and organisations responsible for agricultural research in the UK, to help strengthen the impact and social value of their work. Where the evidence points to a better way of funding or teaching agricultural research, we say so.

SARI Steering Goup members:

Charles Bestwick, SEFARI
Neil Boonham, FERA
Martin Broadley, Rothamsted Research
Sal Burgess, James Comer, Helen Fox & Lindsay Roome, Defra
Chris Danks, UKRI
Iain Donnison, IBERS
Rachel Eglin, Animal and Plant Health Agency
Jackie Evans, ADAS
Mike Gooding, AHDB
Kathryn Green, AgriFood Charities Partnership
Pete Ianetta & Lee-Anne Sutherland, James Hutton Institute
Stefan Kepinski, Agricultural Universities Council
James Sharp, DBSIT
Elizabeth Stockdale, NIAB
Elizabeth McGowan, AFBI
Simon Willcock, University of Reading
Eann Munro, Scottish Government
Richard Pywell, UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
James Skates, Llwodraeth Cymru/Welsh Government

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

We are grateful to everyone involved in SARI, including the Steering Group, survey respondents, workshop attendees, interviewees and everyone who advised the project, reviewed draft findings or submitted data.

This work is supported by Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) grant ES/X010759/1 to the Innovation & Research Caucus (IRC). The Innovation & Research Caucus supports the use of robust evidence and insights in UKRI’s strategies and investments, as well as undertaking a co-produced programme of research. The IRC is funded by UKRI. The views expressed in this piece are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the funders.

With thanks

SARI is supported by the University of Reading, a global leader in agri-food research and teaching. Agrifood Futures is the University’s ambitious long-term research strategy that will be a major driver of change in the way they produce, consume and think about food as they move towards 2050.

SARI is also supported by the Agricultural Universities Council (AUC), a collaboration between UK universities with agricultural schools and departments. By working together, AUC members amplify their efforts for the benefit of the whole sector.

This work was made possible by the Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust, which generously funds Ag.Impact. The Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust is a grant giving body that invests in people who will advance healthy, fair and sustainable UK food production.