Rural Coalition responds to government’s

Future of Rural England report

Members of The Rural Coalition were active and constructive contributors to the Rural Taskforce, which was established by the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) in April 2025 to work with external partners and government departments to better understand the support required by rural businesses and communities, in order to tackle disadvantage and unlock potential.

Defra’s report and recommendations recognise the need for government-wide action and, in this context, The Rural Coalition particularly welcomes its commitment to creating robust indicators to monitor rural sustainability, service delivery and economic resilience.

Plans to establish a cross-government board to review the effectiveness of the rural proofing of policy development and its real-world impact have also been welcomed.

These provide the foundations for more coherent, rurally-aware policy formation, and members of the Coalition will now work with Defra and others to ensure these valuable initiatives are successful.

Mark Pragnell, Chair, The Rural Coalition, said: “This report is an important step forward in recognising the significance of rural England in delivering economic growth and prosperity for the whole nation, and in mapping out how all government departments – not just Defra – have a role to play in unlocking the potential.

“We look forward to working closely with Defra, and other government departments, to ensure that the lessons learned through the Rural Taskforce process result in better decision-making across government, ultimately benefiting rural communities and UK PLC.”

Find out more about the work of the Rural Coalition at www.acre.org.uk/rural-coalition.

“This report is an important step forward in recognising the significance of rural England in delivering economic growth and prosperity for the whole nation.”

Mark Pragnell,
Chair, The Rural Coalition