60 Second Property Digest – The Rural Report 2023/24
Mark Topliff, rural research, delves in to the key talking points from The Rural Report 2023/24 including natural capital opportunities, regenerative farming and land price rises.
2 minutes to read
The Rural Report 2023/24
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The Rural Report is Knight Frank’s annual research report for those interested in exploring current and future opportunities in the countryside for business, people, and the environment. In this year’s report, we cover the theme ‘planet’.
Why planet?
The environment has moved up the agenda of government as well as sectors such as the food chain. PwC estimates that around 47% of companies listed on the London Stock Exchange depend on nature in some shape or form.
Research by Gallagher estimates that nearly half of all UK businesses have already been impacted by the physical effects of climate change. So, ambitious targets have been set to cut carbon emissions, boost biodiversity, and reduce pollution.
Farms and estates have the potential to unlock the opportunities to provide some of the solutions to meet these goals. The expanding nature-based markets could help deliver those solutions, as well as being a valuable new income stream.
Half of the respondents in The Rural Report Sentiment Survey say that natural capital will be an important income. But there is some lack of clarity and confusion around these markets and government policy.
The Rural Report 23/24 edition delves into this theme in detail using expert insight, analysis, and client case studies.
These include a small estate in Dorset, making the most of various environmental schemes, to an award-winning Kentish farm that has been successful with regenerative farming.
Natural capital
How important do rural businesses think income form natural capital will become? Our survey shows 25% of our respondents think it's very important and 25% think it's slightly important.
Building better relationships
Alongside these stories are tips for corporate, institutional, and public bodies to make more of their natural capital and how estates can build better landlord/tenant relationships – which our survey shows 75% of The Rural Sentiment Survey respondents say are not working effectively.
The report also asks whether natural capital is driving land prices, which have increased by nearly 30% since 2020 in England and Wales and presents some of the best rural properties on the market.
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