What is the state of agricultural research?

How is public money spent, and where do people think it should go?

Despite significant investment in agricultural research and innovation in the UK, there is currently no overall picture of where public money is going, or how it maps on to real world priorities.

The State of Agricultural Research and Innovation (SARI) will address this with the most comprehensive analysis to date. To be published later this year, SARI will show how research funding is spent and how it compares with what matters to farmers, researchers and others with a stake in agriculture.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts

The SARI survey received hundreds of responses from farmers, researchers, and people from right across food and farming. You told us where funding should be spent on agricultural research. At the same time, we received data from research funders and providers on where public money and effort currently is going.

We are now analysing everything and will share early insights over the summer.

If you didn't have chance to have a say or would like to hear more about what we are doing, please get in touch.

Talk to us about SARI

The State of Agricultural Research & Innovation (SARI)

With a commissioning group spanning government, funders and research providers, we are taking a comprehensive look at what agricultural research the UK is funding, how it compares to what's needed on the ground, and when it might have an impact.

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.

Produced with and for the whole sector, it is designed to help target research more effectively at practical priorities and policy goals.

The first SARI report will be published in October 2026.

SARI commissioning group members:

Charles Bestwick, SEFARI
Neil Boonham, FERA
Sal Burgess, James Comer, Helen Fox & Lindsay Roome, Defra
Andrew Cureton, UKRI
Iain Donnison, IBERS
Rachel Eglin, Animal and Plant Health Agency
Mike Gooding, AHDB
Katherine Green, AgriFood Charities Partnership
Pete Ianetta & Lee-Anne Sutherland, James Hutton Institute
Stefan Kepinski, Agricultural Universities Council
Stuart Knight, NIAB
Elizabeth McGowan, AFBI
Simon Mortimer, University of Reading
Eann Munro, Scottish Government
Richard Pywell, UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
James Skates, Llwodraeth Cymru/Welsh Government

This work is supported by Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) grant ES/X010759/1 to the Innovation & Research Caucus (IRC). We are very grateful to the project sponsors at UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) for their input into this research.

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. Our members are leading academics from across the social sciences, other disciplines and sectors, who are engaged in different aspects of innovation and research systems. We connect academic experts, UKRI, IUK and the (ESRC), by providing research insights to inform policy and practice. Professor Tim Vorley and Professor Stephen Roper are Co-Directors. The IRC is funded by UKRI via the ESRC and IUK, grant number ES/X010759/1. The support of the funders is acknowledged. 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 we produce, consume and think about food as we move towards 2050. It builds on our strengths in food systems thinking, stakeholder collaboration and transdisciplinary high-quality research. To deliver Agrifood Futures, the University is investing in three interconnected priority areas: A resilient food system for everyone; Farming systems that work with nature and our climate; Food that nourishes people and the planet.

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 are able their efforts. Recent AUC projects include: developing a joint strategy to maximise public benefit of their teaching and research, working together to showcase opportunities for research careers in agriculture through events such as the AUC Summer School and PhD Conference, and developing 'Farming Matters', teaching resources available to students regardless of where they're studying.