ENVIRONMENTAL FARMERS GROUP LIMITED

What ENVIRONMENTAL FARMERS GROUP LIMITED does

Environmental Farmers Group Limited (EFG) is a farmer-owned natural capital cooperative incorporated in 2022 and operating across England. The company connects farmer-members with downstream buyers — developers, utilities, public sector organisations, and responsible businesses — that require verified Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) units, nutrient neutrality credits (phosphate and nitrate), soil carbon credits, and woodland carbon units to satisfy statutory obligations and voluntary ESG commitments. EFG is structured as a private company limited by guarantee, governed by a board of six farmer-directors plus advisors, with daily operations managed by Natural Capital Advisory Ltd. Headquartered at Burgate Manor in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, with a second office in Warminster, Wiltshire, the cooperative represents approximately 4% of England's farmed area and is hosted under the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) umbrella.

EFG's core offering is natural capital brokerage rather than a unified software product. The platform layer consists of Catchment Conservation Plans — systematic habitat mapping exercises using British Geological Survey data, historic maps, and surface water flow modelling — completed for 60+ member holdings and identifying approximately 3,500ha of biodiversity project land and 40km+ of hedgerow creation potential. The cooperative has also deployed on-farm water quality monitoring infrastructure funded through a Rothamsted Research capital grant, and developed an Environmental Transition Plan methodology (launched 2026) as a science-based catchment-scale template for nature recovery, clean water, and net zero farming, first demonstrated across the Hampshire Avon catchment. Independent verification is achieved through adoption of DEFRA's Biodiversity Metric, the Woodland Carbon Code, and partner methodologies including Ecometric's measure-and-remeasure soil carbon approach and Regenerate Outcomes' three-year soil carbon programme.

EFG's business model combines annual membership subscriptions (£1.25 per hectare per year) with a 12% commission on the value of natural capital trades brokered through the cooperative. As of 2026 the cooperative reported £1.5m in cumulative trading value across 27 completed trades and 198 farmer-members covering 82,000 hectares across six regional clusters (Hampshire Avon, Northern Lincolnshire, Central England, Dorset, North York Moors, and Isle of Wight). Distribution is community-led for farmer acquisition — via regional Local Leads, Steering Groups, and word-of-mouth within GWCT-originated farmer cluster networks — and direct enterprise brokerage for buyer engagement, facilitated by Natural Capital Advisory. Operating revenue is supplemented by capital grants (Rothamsted Research) and project funding (Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Defra's NEIRF, Fishmongers' Company Charitable Trust) supporting environmental delivery programmes.

Name

ENVIRONMENTAL FARMERS GROUP LIMITED

Legal name

Environmental Farmers Group Limited

Website

https://environmentalfarmersgroup.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Environmental Farmers Group is a farmer-owned cooperative that connects 198+ English farmer-members across 82,000+ hectares with buyers needing verified Biodiversity Net Gain, nutrient neutrality, and soil carbon credits, through brokerage and catchment-scale environmental planning services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Services and Natural Capital Brokerage

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Nature-Based Credits Trading (Forestry/REDD+, Soil Carbon, Blue Carbon) (EUAGAIAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ecosystem Services & Natural Capital Programs (Water, Biodiversity Credits, PES) (IMAMAJAK)

Keywords

• Natural capital brokerage
• Biodiversity net gain
• Nutrient neutrality credits
• Soil carbon markets
• Farmer cooperative services

Headquarters

HQ city

Fordingbridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual subscription fee of £1.25 per hectare per year charged to all farmer members. Low membership fee designed to reduce risk entry. Subscriptions remained unchanged for third consecutive year as of 2026.
2. Natural Capital Trading Commission: Members trade all natural capital through the cooperative. EFG retains 12% of trade income, shared with other members. Trading reached £1.5m in value in 2026 across 27 trades. Includes BNG units, nutrient neutrality credits (phosphate/nitrate), and soil carbon credits.
3. Natural Capital Brokerage for Buyers: EFG facilitates trades between farmer members (sellers) and developers, utilities, public sector, and corporates (buyers). Buyers purchase biodiversity units, nutrient credits, and soil carbon credits through EFG as a single trusted point of contact. Provides joined-up supply across BNG, nutrient neutrality, and carbon markets.
4. Capital Grants and External Funding: EFG has received capital grants (e.g., from Rothamsted Research for water testing equipment) and project funding (e.g., Esmee Fairbairn Foundation for Environmental Transition Plan development, Defra's NEIRF for Woodland Carbon Project). This supports operational costs and programme delivery rather than being a primary revenue stream.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

EFG is a farmer-owned cooperative that brokers verified natural capital credits — Biodiversity Net Gain units, nutrient neutrality credits (phosphate and nitrate), and soil carbon credits — between its farmer members and buyers such as developers, utilities, and public sector organisations. Members pay an annual subscription and trade all natural capital through the cooperative, while EFG retains a 12% share of trade income and coordinates catchment-scale Environmental Transition Plans and Catchment Conservation Plans to support landscape-scale delivery.

Product overview

Environmental Farmers Group (EFG) is a farmer-owned cooperative offering a suite of natural capital market services rather than a unified software product. The core offering consists of natural capital trading and brokerage for Biodiversity Net Gain, soil carbon credits, and nutrient neutrality credits. EFG provides an Environmental Delivery Programme including Catchment Conservation Plans and Environmental Transition Plans to help members meet national biodiversity and climate targets. The cooperative also offers water quality monitoring services and has developed a Woodland Carbon Project. EFG connects farmers with buyers (developers, utilities, public sector, and responsible businesses) through a single trusted cooperative structure, enabling farmers to generate new income streams while delivering measurable environmental outcomes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EFG Farmer Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• 102 farmers covering 26% of Hampshire Avon catchment (175,000ha) committed to Environmental Transition Plan
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core, supporting and minor.

• Winchester Downs Farmers Cluster (WDC) & Upper Itchen Restoration CICmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026New partnership (2026) bringing together WDC farmers and Upper Itchen Restoration CIC to tackle water quality on the upper Itchen chalk stream. EFG provides lab-quality water testing equipment funded through Rothamsted Research capital grant. Citizen scientists collect weekly water samples providing higher frequency data than Environment Agency monitoring. Partnership includes sediment fingerprinting planned for the future.
• EcometriccoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025EFG endorsed Ecometric as a recommended soil carbon programme provider following a comprehensive market review. Ecometric uses intensive soil sampling and satellite imagery methodology to generate verified credits annually. EFG members receive 10% discount on Ecometric services. Ecometric's approach is 'measure and remeasure' for soil carbon quantification. Used by Fonthill Farms to generate 10,800 tCO2e credits.
• Regenerate OutcomescoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025EFG endorsed Regenerate Outcomes as a recommended soil carbon programme provider. Offers zero upfront cost model for EFG members plus £1/ha/year income stream for 3 years enrolled. EFG negotiated specific terms ensuring members own their soil carbon data. Part of EFG's 'measure and remeasure' approach to high-integrity carbon credits.
• Beyond ZerosupportingTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025Beyond Zero provided a carbon dashboard and navigated the UK Carbon Code of Conduct for EFG members in North Lincolnshire. Partnering with EFG to make carbon trading more accessible and transparent for members. Ecometric and Regenerate Outcomes also mentioned as exclusive carbon programme partners.
• Nature BrokingsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Luke Baldwin, CEO of Nature Broking, provided an in-depth overview of current carbon markets and their relevance to UK agriculture at EFG's North Lincolnshire carbon event. Nature Broking assists EFG members in navigating carbon market opportunities.
• The Allerton Project (GWCT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The Allerton Project (GWCT research farm) hosted EFG's North Lincolnshire carbon baselining event and BNG workshop. Jenny Bussell, soil scientist at Allerton Project, contributed science expertise on soil carbon creation, permanence, and measurement. Allerton Project Visitor Centre used as event venue.
• Oxbury BankmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Oxbury Bank and EFG co-authored a report 'Exploring Nature Markets within the Structure of Emerging Regulation for Corporates', providing detailed analysis of available nature payments for farmers. The report warns that success in nature markets depends on connected groups of farmers and includes a delivery framework for corporates and farmers.
• NFU MutualsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Corporate partnership with NFU Mutual (largest farm insurance company in UK). Announced at Hampshire Avon Members Meeting June 2025. NFU Mutual Regional Advisory Board includes EFG Chairman Robert Shepherd as Hampshire chair.
• KubotasupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Corporate partnership with Kubota (UK's leading engine manufacturer for ground care equipment, mini excavators, and agricultural tractors). Announced at Hampshire Avon Members Meeting June 2025.
• Velcourt FarmingmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Velcourt hosted EFG Soil Carbon Event at Fonthill Farms with over 50 EFG farmers attending. Nick Shorter (Velcourt Group CEO) shared details of Fonthill Farms' live soil carbon project. Velcourt manages Fonthill Farms' operational farming system underpinning carbon sequestration results. Long-standing agricultural business.
• Old MillsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025Old Mill is an independent accountancy firm and EFG sponsor advising farmers and landowners on natural capital schemes. Contributed to HMRC natural capital tax guidance article. Advises on financial structuring for environmental income.
• Land Family BusinesssupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025Land Family Business is a firm of specialist accountants and tax advisers working with farming families and rural businesses. EFG sponsor providing advice on structuring farming businesses for tax efficiency, including environmental income streams. Joint report with Thrings on Woodland Carbon Code tax implications.
• HutchinsonssupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Hutchinsons is an agri-inputs and agronomy firm and EFG sponsor. Environmental Services team provides practical advice on environmental management, water quality, biodiversity, and compliance aligned with productive farming. Works alongside EFG agronomists.
• Zulu EcosystemsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024EFG partnered with Zulu Ecosystems on the Woodland Carbon Project (funded by Defra's NEIRF). Zulu carried out woodland landscape assessments across Hampshire Avon, Dorset Stour, and Test & Itchen catchments, identifying over 500 hectares of potential woodland creation and modelling over 250,000 PIUs. Worked one-to-one with members to scope individual woodland carbon projects against WCC criteria.
• Thrings LLPsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024Thrings is an independent, award-winning law firm and EFG sponsor providing legal advice on natural capital transactions including environmental overage, BNG, and woodland carbon. Reviewed legal agreements for EFG's soil carbon programme partnerships. Specialises in agricultural law.
• Wildflower CominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Wildflower Co (formerly Wildflower Turf) sponsors EFG. Specialises in wildflower meadow creation and biodiverse habitat establishment. Can support habitat bank creation for EFG members.
• Robin Appel LtdminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Robin Appel Ltd is an independent UK-based grain and seed trading company founded in 1980, headquartered in Hampshire. EFG sponsor specialising in value-added crops.
• Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022GWCT is EFG's scientific advisory body and hosts EFG's operations and staff. GWCT developed the farmer cluster model (2013) that underpins EFG's community structure. GWCT ecologists draft conservation plans for EFG members. Teresa Dent CBE (former GWCT CEO) serves on EFG's board as Environmental Director. GWCT CEO Nick von Westenholz supports EFG's Environmental Transition Plan. GWCT Allerton Project hosts EFG events and workshops.
• Natural Capital Advisory (NCA)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2022NCA provides EFG's daily operations and management, including staff recruitment and project delivery. Christopher Sparrow serves as Commercial Director on EFG's board. Tom Vacher serves as NCA Commercial Officer providing natural capital brokerage. NCA brokers environmental trades for EFG and facilitates buyer relationships. EFG email ([email protected]) routes through NCA.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Carbon Trust: Carbon Trust is a global climate consultancy that advises corporates on carbon reduction, offsetting, and natural capital strategy. It is a broad incumbent adjacent to EFG's buyer-side work with responsible businesses, but operates across all sectors rather than specializing in UK farmer-delivered environmental credits.
• Indigo Ag: Indigo Ag is a large US-headquartered agtech and carbon farming platform with a global farmer network generating agricultural carbon credits. It is a broad incumbent in the agricultural carbon market, far larger than EFG in capital and geographic reach, and represents the scale benchmark EFG competes against for corporate carbon buyers.

Direct peers

• Wilder Carbon: Wilder Carbon is a UK initiative (partnered with the RSPB and others) that sells verified nature-based carbon credits from habitat restoration. It is a direct peer competing with EFG in the high-integrity, nature-based UK voluntary carbon market serving corporate buyers.
• Agreena: Agreena is a Denmark-headquartered carbon farming platform that aggregates farmer-generated soil carbon credits across Europe. It is a direct peer competing for UK farmer enrollments and corporate carbon credit buyers, though Agreena is venture-backed and tech-led rather than cooperative-led.
• Soil Capital: Soil Capital is a European carbon programme that pays farmers for verified soil carbon and provides corporate buyers with offset credits. It is a direct peer to EFG's soil carbon offering and competes for the same UK and European farmer and corporate buyer base.
• Soil Heroes: Soil Heroes is a European platform that rewards farmers for regenerative practices and generates verified soil carbon credits. It is directly comparable to EFG as a farmer-facing aggregator that brokers soil carbon income, though it operates across wider European geographies rather than as a cooperative.
• Forest Carbon: Forest Carbon is a UK-based nature-based carbon project developer focused on woodland and reforestation carbon credits, working closely with UK landowners. It is a direct peer to EFG's Woodland Carbon Project line of business and competes for the same landowner supply base.

Others

• Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG): FWAG is a UK network of regional farmer and wildlife advisory groups providing environmental and agri-environment scheme advice to farmers. It is thematically related to EFG's environmental delivery and farm planning work but is an advisory body rather than a natural capital credit broker, and competes indirectly for the same farmer attention.

Emerging players

• Trinity AgTech: Trinity AgTech provides a natural capital and sustainability platform for farmers, including carbon measurement and ecosystem services reporting. It is an emerging peer in the agricultural natural capital tooling space, overlapping with EFG's environmental delivery and farm planning capabilities but via software rather than a cooperative brokerage model.
• Cool Farm Alliance: Cool Farm Alliance is an industry consortium that maintains the Cool Farm Tool for farm-level carbon, water, and biodiversity measurement used by corporates and farmers globally. It is an emerging peer in the agricultural sustainability measurement space underpinning many carbon credit programmes EFG members participate in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/environmental-farmers-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ENVIRONMENTAL FARMERS GROUP LIMITED