Guidance

Funding and grants for agroforestry

Updated 29 April 2025

Applies to England

• Publication for Northern Ireland
• Publication for Scotland
• Publication for Wales

Find out about grants and funding support for agroforestry on your farmland.

You may be able to apply for one or more of the available grants and funding schemes if you or your land are eligible.

Find out about the benefits of agroforestry and read further resources in the guide to agroforestry.

Agroforestry plan (PA4)

Agroforestry plan (PA4 capital item) is designed to: 

• support you in planning, creating, and the ongoing management of your agroforestry system
• take a holistic view to consider how your agroforestry fits within the context of your landholding and local landscape
• outline how agroforestry supports your business objectives and provides environmental benefits that can boost your farm business resilience
• help you to think about the full range of agroforestry options for your land holding in a complete way, which can then inform your entry into funding to create and/or manage your agroforestry
• provide a structured approach to gain any permissions you may need to progress your ideas
• help you consider the sensitivity of the land

If you’re considering an agroforestry system, you should complete an agroforestry plan as the first step.

You’ll be paid £1268.08 to complete the plan and will receive specialist advice or sign-off from a Forestry Commission Agroforestry Woodland Officer or a Natural England adviser.

Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) 

The Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme is currently closed to new applications.

The SFI agroforestry offer pays farmers and land managers to take up or maintain sustainable farming and land management practices that: 

• reduce soil erosion and flooding
• improve water and air quality
• provide shelter for crops and livestock
• contribute to carbon capture and storage

Currently, SFI funding for in-field agroforestry is only available on ‘less sensitive land’. The SFI scheme options are:

Maintain ‘very low density’ in-field agroforestry on less sensitive land (AGF1)

For very low density in-field agroforestry on less sensitive land.

Tree density: 30 to 50 trees per hectare (ha)
Payment rate: £248 per ha per year

Read more about ‘very low density’ in-field agroforestry on less sensitive land (AGF1).

Maintain ‘low density’ in-field agroforestry on less sensitive land (AGF2)

For low density in-field agroforestry on less sensitive land.

Tree density: 51 to 130 per hectare (ha)
Payment rate: £385 per ha per year

Read more about ‘low density’ in-field agroforestry on less sensitive land (AGF2).

Before you plant in-field agroforestry trees, you must check the sensitivity of the land you plan to plant on by using the SFI Agroforestry data layer.

SFI agroforestry options are only available to those on less sensitive land.

Countryside Stewardship

Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) agroforestry offer pays farmers and land managers to take up or maintain sustainable farming and land management practices that: 

• reduce soil erosion
• improve water and air quality on agricultural land
• provide shelter for livestock
• reduce flooding
• contribute to net zero targets

There are 4 CSHT scheme options:

Very low density

For ‘very low density’ in-field agroforestry on more sensitive land (CAGF4).

Tree density: 30 to per hectare (ha)
Payment rate: £248 per ha per year

Read more about managing ‘very low density’ in-field agroforestry on more sensitive land (CAGF4).

Low density

For ‘low density’ in-field agroforestry on more sensitive land (CAGF2).

Tree density: 51 to 130 per hectare (ha)
Payment rate: £385 per ha per year

Read more about managing ‘low density’ in-field agroforestry on more sensitive land (CAGF2).

Medium density

For ‘medium’ density in-field agroforestry (CAGF3).

Tree density: 131 to 250 per hectare (ha)
Payment rate: £595 per ha per year

Read more about managing ‘medium’ density in-field agroforestry (CAGF3).

High density

For ‘high density’ in-field agroforestry (CAGF1).

Tree density: 251 to 400 per hectare (ha)
Payment rate: £849 per ha per year

Read more about managing ‘high density’ in-field agroforestry (CAGF1).

You must complete an agroforestry plan (capital item PA4) before you can apply for CSHT options.

Contact your Forestry Commission Woodland Officer for advice about the CSHT options.

There are a variety of capital items available to support establishing your in-field agroforestry system.

Capital payments to establish in-field agroforestry systems available within SFI 

The Capital Grants scheme will re-open for new applications in summer 2025. Limits will be set on how much you can apply for in each of the 4 categories. The new limits will be:

• £25,000 for water quality
• £25,000 for air quality
• £25,000 natural flood management
• £35,000 for boundaries, trees and orchards

The cap does not apply to capital plans or for combined agroforestry capital and CSHT revenue applications.

The following capital items are temporarily unavailable:

AF1: Plant an agroforestry woodland tree

You can use this item to plant trees that make up an in-field agroforestry system before applying for a revenue payment.

You’ll be paid £5.40 per tree.

AF2: Plant an agroforestry fruit tree

You can use this item to plant fruit trees that make up an in-field agroforestry system before applying for a maintenance action.

You’ll be paid £17.83 per tree.

AF3: Species diversity bonus supplement

You can use this item on your in-field agroforestry system. You can apply for it if you are establishing 5 or more different species of tree so they each make up at least 10% of the planting.

You can apply for this item at the same time as AF1 or AF2.

You’ll be paid £1.16 per tree.

When planting any trees, their protection is an important consideration. When using capital items AF1 and AF2, you must ensure trees are planted with basic protection, such as individual tree shelters. 

These capital items are also temporarily unavailable:

• TE7: Tree guard (wood post and rail)
• TE8: Tree guard (wood post and wire)
• FG1: Fencing
• FG2: Sheep netting
• FG3: Permanent electric fencing
• FG9: Deer fencing

Read more about capital items to support agroforestry on the Countryside Stewardship grant finder tool.

Read more about all annual revenue payments to support agroforestry on the Find funding for land or farms tool.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) 

Depending on your tree species choices, spatial arrangements, and the location of your land, you might need a forestry EIA.

Definition of trees and woodland will help determine whether you need to apply for an EIA screening. 

If no forestry EIA is required, you might need an agricultural EIA assessment screening from Natural England.

Regional funding support

Depending on your location, you can apply for a tree planting grant (including agroforestry) through one of our local Woodland Creation Partners, with many schemes starting from as little as 0.1 ha.

Read more about our local Woodland Creation Partners.

Contact us

If you would like to discuss agroforestry with us, including whether your land is eligible for SFI agroforestry, email: GRNationalTeam@forestrycommission.gov.uk.

To help your email reach the relevant Agroforestry Woodland Officer for your area, title your email as: ‘Agroforestry: your county name and postcode’.