The House of Commons  Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee has launched a call for evidence to find out about the challenges facing upland farmers and land managers, and how the Government can best support them.

Uplands provide unique ecological environments and can help mitigate flooding, while peatlands are vital, natural stores of carbon. These spaces are also popular visitor destinations, characterised by grazing livestock and home to long-standing traditions and rural communities.

The cross-party Committee wants to understand how these coexisting, and at times competing, elements of upland life can be balanced with support from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

MPs have launched this call for evidence following DEFRA’s recent publication of the Land Use Framework for England. The Framework indicated that upland areas in the North West, South West and South East of England could be most suitable for delivering climate and nature recovery targets.

Among the terms of reference are questions of how effectively DEFRA’s Environmental Land Management and Farming in Protected Landscape schemes work for upland farmers, and how legal protections over land impact businesses.

The Committee is also interested to hear about innovations and improvements needed in land use data, mapping, and modelling to support effective decision-making in the uplands, and what skills are needed to support them.

The new workstream will be part of the Committee’s long-term thematic inquiry into land use and nature in England and the future of farming launched in March by the Committee, as a new component of its Strategy setting out its strategic principles and policy priorities to underpin their work during the course of this Parliament.

EFRA Committee Chair Alistair Carmichael MP said:

“What does DEFRA want from upland landscapes, and what do upland communities want from DEFRA? We have had the outlines of an answer to the former question in the Land Use Framework, but my colleagues and I detect that there is much refining and shaping of policy to be done in this field.

“With this new inquiry, we want to shed light on how the two sides can be bridged and how competing demands on uplands can be married up cohesively. Farming forms of the backbone of our uplands and we want to hear directly from people in these communities about the social, environmental and commercial value it provides. We now welcome written evidence from the people who know best and look forward to engaging with farmers, land managers and organisations as our work progresses.”

Terms of reference

The Committee is seeking written evidence submissions in response to any or all of the following questions. Submissions should be made via the Committee’s website by 26 June 2026.

• How effectively do current policies balance competing demands in the uplands, including food production, nature recovery, climate mitigation, water management, and public access, and where do the key tensions remain?
• What has been the impact of agricultural policy changes (including the transition away from direct payments) on upland farming businesses, and the impact of these changes on farming profitability?
• To what extent do the current Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes and other support like the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) schemes support financially and environmentally sustainable land management in the uplands?
• How do legal protections for uplands areas (including designation as a National Park or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty / Protected Landscape, and designations such as Site of Special Scientific Interest, or Special Area of Conservation) impact decision-making, land management, and outcomes?
• What improvements are needed in land use data, mapping, and modelling to support effective decision-making in the uplands? What training or other skill development options are needed to support this?
• How might land use and business changes in the uplands impact rural communities?
• How can government policy ensure that rural communities in upland areas benefit from changes?

Click here to access the Call for Evidence