As anger mounts over Labour's proposed inheritance tax, an exclusive GB News analysis reveals the international farmers set to pocket more than £500million in foreign aid.
The timing of the aid package has sparked fury, with Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe branding it "disgusting", claiming it is a "spit in the face for British farmers".
The Government has defended the package, noting that it's still significantly investing in its own agricultural sector with £5billion allocated for domestic farming over the next two years.
They argued that international aid would indirectly benefit UK agriculture by fostering global scientific advances in food and agriculture, which could potentially benefit UK farmers as well.
This aid package is aimed at supporting agricultural development in various countries, focusing on regions like Africa, Asia, and South America.
The funding is allocated to multiple projects designed to enhance food security, promote sustainable farming practices, and possibly support initiatives like low-carbon agriculture in developing countries.
The programme with the largest budget is the “Support to the Global Agricultural and Food Security Programme” - this is receiving £206million in funding from October 2012 to June 2031.
The aim of the programme is “to improve agricultural productivity in developing countries and to increase farmers" access to markets while increasing the economic resilience of poor people globally”.
In 2024/25 alone, the UK is spending £110million on agricultural foreign aid projects and £445 million on environmental foreign aid projects.
The £536million pot from Labour covers 10 agricultural projects in Africa, Asia and South America (see map above).
A significant percentage of this budget (£37,420,000) will go to small and medium-sized farms in Brazil. It also be used to promote low-carbon agriculture practices in the 10th-largest economy in the world
Other beneficiaries include Rwandan farmers, who will pocket £16million to help them produce tea for the first time.
More than £36million will go to Tanzania as part of the Productivity for Prosperity (P4P) scheme that will initially prioritise the agro-processing and horticulture sectors and provide flexible support to bolster the UK’s current and future prosperity objectives.
Here's the full breakdown:
The fund package comes as rebel farmers plot to blockade supermarket distribution centres in response to the Chancellor's decision to impose a 20 per cent inheritance tax on farmers' assets valued over £1million.
Before this change, they enjoyed tax breaks designed to facilitate the transfer of family farms across generations.
Reeves claims that the inheritance tax on agricultural properties is needed to fund public services, including the NHS. She claims only the wealthiest landowners will be affected.
Critics counter that the move will disincentivise hard-working families and cause capital flight, destroying wealth creation in the process.
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Speaking to GB News, British farmer Charles Goadby claimed that Labour are "destroying food security" for the UK, and it is "beggars belief" that they are sending hundreds of millions of pounds to farmers abroad.
Goadby fumed: "I'm furious, it's beggar's belief to be honest with you. The sad thing is, I'm not even surprised - I don't put anything past this government right now.
"They're imposing this family farm tax on us, and it's going to impact a lot more people. They're just taking the mick out of farmers in this country."
Warning of the large-scale impact the inheritance tax raid will truly have on Britain, Goadby told GB News that we will become "much more reliant on produce from other countries" that "doesn't meet our standards".
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The timing of the aid package has sparked fury, with Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe branding it "disgusting", claiming it is a "spit in the face for British farmers".
The Government has defended the package, noting that it's still significantly investing in its own agricultural sector with £5billion allocated for domestic farming over the next two years.
They argued that international aid would indirectly benefit UK agriculture by fostering global scientific advances in food and agriculture, which could potentially benefit UK farmers as well.
What's included in the aid package?
This aid package is aimed at supporting agricultural development in various countries, focusing on regions like Africa, Asia, and South America.
The funding is allocated to multiple projects designed to enhance food security, promote sustainable farming practices, and possibly support initiatives like low-carbon agriculture in developing countries.
The programme with the largest budget is the “Support to the Global Agricultural and Food Security Programme” - this is receiving £206million in funding from October 2012 to June 2031.
The aim of the programme is “to improve agricultural productivity in developing countries and to increase farmers" access to markets while increasing the economic resilience of poor people globally”.
In 2024/25 alone, the UK is spending £110million on agricultural foreign aid projects and £445 million on environmental foreign aid projects.
Which countries are set to benefit?
The £536million pot from Labour covers 10 agricultural projects in Africa, Asia and South America (see map above).
A significant percentage of this budget (£37,420,000) will go to small and medium-sized farms in Brazil. It also be used to promote low-carbon agriculture practices in the 10th-largest economy in the world
Other beneficiaries include Rwandan farmers, who will pocket £16million to help them produce tea for the first time.
More than £36million will go to Tanzania as part of the Productivity for Prosperity (P4P) scheme that will initially prioritise the agro-processing and horticulture sectors and provide flexible support to bolster the UK’s current and future prosperity objectives.
Here's the full breakdown:
- GOV Department: Defra
- Receiving Country: Brazil
- Grant Name: Low-carbon Agriculture for avoided deforestation and poverty reduction Phase II (Rural Sustentavel)
- Description: Restore deforested and degraded land on small- and medium-sized farms and promote low-carbon agriculture practices.
- Total Budget (£): 37,420,000
- Start Date: 04-Oct-21
- End Date: 01-Dec-26
- GOV Department: FCDO
- Receiving Country: Ghana
- Grant Name: Agriculture Transformation in Ghana
- Description: Economic transformation in Ghana through developing markets for agriculture and trade.
- Total Budget (£): 921,134.00
- Start Date: 13-Jan-20
- End Date: 01-Jun-25
- GOV Department: FCDO
- Receiving Country: Africa, regional, Asia, regional, Developing countries, unspecified, Kenya, South Africa
- Grant Name: Commercial Agriculture for Smallholders and Agribusiness
- Description: Supports small and medium-sized (SME) agribusinesses with smallholder supply chains to grow.
- Total Budget (£): 61,422,490
- Start Date: 14-Jun-17
- End Date: 31-Mar-26
- GOV Department: FCDO
- Receiving Country: Somalia
- Grant Name: Supporting Inclusive Growth in Somalia (SIGS)
- Description: Accelerated support to key Micro, Small and Medium Sized Enterprise (MSME) sectors, including domestic food production.
- Total Budget (£): 38,136,174
- Start Date: 21-Aug-20
- End Date: 31-Mar-27
- GOV Department: FCDO
- Receiving Country: Rwanda
- Grant Name: Sustainable Inclusive Livelihoods through Tea Production in Rwanda
- Description: Farmers will be supported in producing tea for the first time, employing best farming practices, including understanding and managing climate risk and variability.
- Total Budget (£): 16,300,066
- Start Date: 24-Aug-16
- End Date: 31-Mar-29
- GOV Department: FCDO
- Receiving Country: Developing countries, unspecified
- Grant Name: Support to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP)
- Description: To improve agricultural productivity in developing countries and to increase farmers' access to markets whilst increasing the economic resilience of poor people globally.
- Total Budget (£): 205,999,999
- Start Date: 02-Oct-12
- End Date: 30-Jun-31
- GOV Department: FCDO
- Receiving Country: Developing countries, unspecified, Kenya
- Grant Name: AgDevCo Ventures - targeting early-stage enterprises in the agriculture sector to scale up activities
- Description: AgDevCo deploys patient capital and technical assistance to build profitable businesses that contribute to food security, drive economic growth and, create jobs and income in rural areas and contribute to farmers’ resilience to climate change.
- Total Budget (£): 24,249,996
- Start Date: 24-Oct-24
- End Date: 31-Mar-35
- GOV Department: FCDO
- Receiving Country: Tanzania
- Grant Name: Productivity for Prosperity (P4P)
- Description: P4P will initially prioritise the agro-processing and horticulture sectors and will provide flexible support to bolster the UK’s current and future prosperity objectives.
- Total Budget (£): 36,599,995
- Start Date: 11-Aug-21
- End Date: 31-Dec-27
- GOV Department: Defra
- Receiving Country: Bhutan, Brazil, Colombia, Developing countries, unspecified, Ghana, Kenya, Laos, Madagascar, Morocco, Nicaragua, Peru, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Tanzania
- Grant Name: Land Degradation Neutrality Fund
- Description: The fund invests in sustainable agriculture, forestry, and other land uses globally. The Fund was launched at the UNCCD’s COP 13 in China in 2017.
- Total Budget (£): Not specified
- Start Date: Not specified
- End Date: Not specified
The fund package comes as rebel farmers plot to blockade supermarket distribution centres in response to the Chancellor's decision to impose a 20 per cent inheritance tax on farmers' assets valued over £1million.
Before this change, they enjoyed tax breaks designed to facilitate the transfer of family farms across generations.
Reeves claims that the inheritance tax on agricultural properties is needed to fund public services, including the NHS. She claims only the wealthiest landowners will be affected.
Critics counter that the move will disincentivise hard-working families and cause capital flight, destroying wealth creation in the process.
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Speaking to GB News, British farmer Charles Goadby claimed that Labour are "destroying food security" for the UK, and it is "beggars belief" that they are sending hundreds of millions of pounds to farmers abroad.
Goadby fumed: "I'm furious, it's beggar's belief to be honest with you. The sad thing is, I'm not even surprised - I don't put anything past this government right now.
"They're imposing this family farm tax on us, and it's going to impact a lot more people. They're just taking the mick out of farmers in this country."
Warning of the large-scale impact the inheritance tax raid will truly have on Britain, Goadby told GB News that we will become "much more reliant on produce from other countries" that "doesn't meet our standards".
Find Out More...