The UK’s agricultural and horticultural workforce must undergo urgent and extensive upskilling to keep pace with rapid technological advances and mounting labour pressures, according to an industry review.
A report by The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (TIAH) and the University of Warwick says technological transformation — driven by automation, digitalisation, and data analytics — is fundamentally reshaping the sector’s labour needs.
Without a rapid overhaul of training systems, the UK risks undermining both productivity and long-term food security, it says.
Among the review’s most significant findings is a projected increase in total employment in the sector, reversing a long-term decline.
However, this growth will be concentrated in high-skill roles such as agronomic consultants, precision technologists, and farm data specialists, the review says.
Meanwhile, demand for low-skilled and seasonal labour is set to fall as robotics and AI automate repetitive and physically demanding tasks.
Industry transformation
The report, titled Review of research and innovation that will impact the English agricultural and horticultural workforce, identifies six key technology domains that are already transforming the industry, including autonomous robots and automated machinery, biological control and precision breeding, and carbon and environmental technologies.
Other key areas are remote sensing and monitoring, big data and analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.
“These technologies are not hypothetical—they’re here and scaling,” said Tess Howe, TIAH’s head of partnerships and policy.
“But the workforce is not yet ready. Without targeted investment in skills, we won’t be able to capture the benefits or remain competitive globally.”
The study found that one of the most urgent areas for development is digital and data literacy.
Farms are generating unprecedented volumes of data, from yield monitoring to soil sensors, but turning that information into decisions requires sophisticated handling, analytics, and integration with traditional farming knowledge.
AI is also playing a growing role, often embedded in software or apps, supporting everything from prescriptive analytics to biosecurity alerts.
Barriers to adoption
However, uptake of new technologies is being held back by two persistent barriers — cost and confidence. Financial constraints continue to delay investment, and many farmers are hesitant to adopt tools they do not fully understand.
This risk aversion, the report argues, is rooted in an urgent need for better training and peer-to-peer learning systems.
Calling for an overhaul of the UK’s agri-skills infrastructure, the report says existing formal qualifications, such as apprenticeships and T-levels, are too slow to adapt, while in-career training — especially continuing professional development — remains underfunded and underutilised.
Instead, the authors advocate for the creation of agile, community-driven learning ecosystems such as mentoring networks, fast-track modules, and farm-based clusters that integrate scientific knowledge with practical application.
Growing job market
After decades of declining employment, the total number of jobs in agriculture and horticulture is now projected to rise. However the roles will be hugely different to agricultural jobs of the past.
The report forecasts a significant shift towards high-skill, knowledge-intensive roles, particularly in areas such as data analytics, technology integration, AI-supported crop and livestock management, and climate adaptation.
Roles for professionals, managers and associate technicians are expected to increase by up to 120% — far outpacing the current supply of trained personnel — while demand for seasonal and low-skilled workers will continue to decline.
Drawing talent from outside the sector, particularly from IT, engineering and environmental sciences, will be essential, the report said.
“Upskilling isn’t just about plugging gaps,” Howe added. “It’s about making farming a more attractive, future-focused profession.
“We need to harness the sector’s sense of pride to drive a culture of professionalism and lifelong learning.”
