Greening 2027 – Summary of Changes
19 August 2026Following the introduction of new greening options in 2026 and the broadening of who is required to have Ecological Focus Areas (EFA), the changes for 2027 are more straightforward, namely:
- Increases to the area of EFA required (5-7% of arable area)
- Updates to establishment deadlines.
Increase in EFA requirement
If you have more than 15ha of arable area (including temporary grass), 7% of the area will be required to be managed as EFA. 7% may not seem a big increase in required greening but it is a 40% increase in previous area. So plan accordingly.
Example EFA calculation
Total area of holding = 125 ha
Total arable area = 100 ha
EFA is 7% of 100ha = 7 ha
If all the 7 hectares of EFA is sited on permanent grassland this would now become arable and would be added to give your new total arable area, for the purpose of Greening only.
Therefore: (original total arable area) 100 ha + 7 ha (EFA) = 107 ha (new total arable area).
Greening required = 7% of 107ha = 7.5ha EFA
New area of EFA required is now 7.5 ha. 7% of 107 ha.
Available EFA options
The options remain the same as 2026 with 11 options available.
- Fallow land
- Margins
- Catch crops
- Green cover
- Hedges
- Agro-forestry (including small and farm woodlands)
- Nitrogen fixing crops
- Low input grassland
- Herb and legume rich
- Unharvested crop
- Agro-forestry (low density planting)
Your EFA can be made up of one or multiple options. In 2026, 48% of farmers undertook multiple options with 25 farmers with 6 or more options. Undertaking multiple options on your farm can broaden the biodiversity benefit on your farm. Have a look at what you have already available on your farm and consider areas which could be used for EFA which benefit both your farming practices and biodiversity. For example, having a wildflower fallow in a wet awkward corner or extending a margin adjacent to a ditch.
When calculating your 2027 EFA remember to consider the different weightings of the available option.
| Option | Weighting | Option | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fallow | 1 | Agroforestry (Small and farm woodland) | 1 |
| Margin | 1.5 | Low input grassland | 0.2 |
| Nitrogen fixing | 1 | Herb and legume rich pastures | 1.5 |
| Catch crop | 0.3 | Unharvested crop | 1.5 |
| Green cover | 0.3 | Agroforestry low density planting | 2 |
| Hedges | 5 or 10 metres squared |
Please read the full guidance to ensure you understand the requirements for each option.
Establishment rule changes
Last year there was an extended period in which changes could be made due to the substantial rule changes. This year there are some changes to the establishment date of some of these options.
New covers should be established by 1st May for
- Fallow
- Margins
- Agro-forestry low density planting
New herb and legume rich pasture must be established by 1st June.
Summary of key dates
The table below gives a brief summary of key management dates for each option. Consider printing these out and keeping them to hand for the coming year.
| EFA Options | |
|---|---|
| Fallow | 15th January – 15th July New covers can be established up to 1st May |
| Margin | 1st January – 31st December. Can be grazed or cut after 15th July New covers can be established up to 1st May |
| Catch Crop | Undersow and maintain catch crop until 31st December |
| Green Crop | Establish by 1st November, maintain until 31st December |
| Nitrogen-fixing | Can be grazed or cut after 1st August |
| Hedges | Cannot be trimmed before 1st December unless in a winter crop. |
| Agro-forestry (small and farm woodlands) | Planted since 2015 under Agroforestry or woodland creation ‘small or farm woodland’ scheme. |
| Low input grassland | 1st January – 31st December |
| Herb and Legume rich Pastures | 1st January – 31st December New covers can be established by 1st June. |
| Unharvested crop | Maintain until 31st December |
| Agro-forestry low density planting | New trees must be planted before 1st May |
2026 EFA areas
The EFA changes in 2026 resulted in almost 2000 additional farmers requiring to have EFA with over 78,000ha managed under EFA benefiting biodiversity and ecosystems. Over 4 million metres of hedging was managed providing habitat and wildlife corridors for a variety of farmland birds, mammals and insects.
Over 23,000ha was managed under low input grassland. This helps to enhance soil structure, increase biodiversity, improve water quality and limit carbon release. Herb and Legume Rich pastures was another popular new option with over 5,000ha declared, these areas offer benefit to pollinating insects and can improve livestock health and performance. Fallow accounted for over 14,000ha and Green cover almost 22,000ha. The options which had a lower take up was Unharvested Crop with just 38ha and the two agroforestry options had a combined area of almost 180ha.
The EFA requirements are bigger for 2027 with the increase from 5% up to 7%. This increases the importance of considering which options to use and to plan ahead where they will be implemented.
Key actions to take this year
- Calculate your 2027 EFA requirements
- If using margins, check margin widths as you may think it is 3m when it is actually 4m
- Measure your hedges and where possible fill in gaps
- Make a plan for your EFA
Tiffany Stephenson, SAC Consulting
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