It’s no surprise that the 2026 Oxford Farming Conference chose Growing Resilience as its theme – over the past decade or so, land management has been shaped by an extraordinary succession of shocks. Now more than ever, embracing strategies for long-term sustainability is crucial. 

A new operating environment

Since 2014, what were once considered ‘black swan’ events have arrived with increasing frequency – geopolitical tensions, climate-driven weather extremes, economic volatility and rapid shifts in rural policy and regulation have appeared and reappeared, often with no advance warning.

Each of these events has tested the resilience of landowners, farmers and rural enterprises. Taken together, they have created a new operating environment: one defined not by predictability, but by continuous change.

A new mindset

For many in our sector, this pace and scale of disruption has demanded a fundamental shift in mindset. The question our industry is asking itself is no longer how to return to stability but rather, how to build businesses capable of adapting to whatever comes next. Because, right now, there is no way of knowing what’s on the horizon.

So, the need for resilience – financial, environmental, operational and strategic – is now a permanent fixture in every business’ strategy. It is no longer a defensive posture but a proactive necessity for long-term success.

As we explore in the latest edition of Savills Aspects of Land, resilience is not a temporary response to turbulence, but the defining characteristic of every modern rural business. From woodland creation to the food supply chain, by embracing new opportunities, engaging with policy evolution, and planning for uncertainty rather than stability, landowners and farmers can build enterprises capable of thriving in this new normal.

Further information

Contact Jonathan Henson

For more rural news and views read the latest edition of Savills Aspects of Land