NFU President: “UK Farming Is Not Economically Sustainable” | Tom Bradshaw

Britain’s food system looks calm on the surface. Underneath, it’s under strain.

Tom Bradshaw, President of the NFU, sits down with Rich Stockdale for a raw, wide-ranging conversation about what it really takes to feed 70 million people — and why UK farming is being pushed to the edge. From balancing family life with national leadership, to fighting for farmers inside Westminster, Tom pulls back the curtain on the political, economic, and emotional realities of modern agriculture.

This isn’t nostalgia for farming’s past. It’s a hard look at its future.

They dig into why UK farmers are exposed to global markets without the protections enjoyed elsewhere, how trade deals and regulation are quietly reshaping what we grow, and why food security should be treated with the same seriousness as defence and energy. Tom challenges the idea that cheap food is a success story — and explains the real cost it’s storing up for the country.

The conversation moves beyond policy into purpose: what farmers stand for, why public trust matters, and how resilience — economic, environmental, and human — is the only way forward.

And just days before Christmas, that pressure finally broke through. Following sustained NFU campaigning, industry-wide backing, and direct engagement with the Prime Minister, the government confirmed a major shift on inheritance tax. The threshold will now rise to £2.5 million — or up to £5 million when spousal transfers are included — meaning most family farms will be able to pass to the next generation intact. It’s not perfect, and the fight isn’t over, but for many farmers it’s a decisive step back from the brink.

As Tom puts it: farming stood together when it mattered — and it will keep pushing until the system finally works for those who produce our food.

Timestamps ⏱️:
0:00:06 Tom Bradshaw: Farmer, Family Man, Leader – An Introduction
0:01:46 Balancing Family, Farm, and Leadership in the NFU
0:07:09 Economic and Political Pressures on UK Agriculture
0:13:00 Navigating Trade, Standards, and Global Market Challenges
0:22:10 Environmental Targets, Food Production, and Government Policy
0:30:40 Contrasting Perspectives: Membership Diversity and Science-Based Policy
0:33:55 Funding Environmental Change: Data, Markets, and Public Sector Clarity
0:41:27 Inheritance Tax, Government Relations, and Farmer Advocacy
0:54:14 Retailer Partnerships and Food System Resilience
1:01:41 Farming’s Future: Recruitment, Tenure, and Facing Demographic Change
1:05:50 What’s The One Question I Haven’t Asked You, That You Wish I Had?

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