OFC3: Organic conversion – rotational land
Defra — Sustainable Farming Incentive
Award
£298 per hectare (ha) per year
Deadline
Rolling — apply any time
Where
England
Summary
What you must do to get paid for this SFI26 action and advice on how to do it.
Full details
This is a Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI26) action. Read the SFI26 scheme information to understand what you’re required to do under an SFI26 agreement and how to apply. Select ‘See all updates’ at the start of this page to find out how this action has changed for SFI26 compared with SFI24. For SFI24 actions, read the SFI24 agreement holder’s information. Duration 1 year – you can apply for this action for a maximum of 2 consecutive years to cover the period of organic conversion How much you’ll be paid £298 per hectare (ha) per year Action’s aim This action’s aim is that land managed as part of a crop rotation is converted from conventional management to organic management. The purpose of this is to increase the overall area of land registered and managed as organic. Where you can do this action You can do this action on agricultural land located below the moorland line that’s: • registered as ‘in conversion’ with a Defra-licensed organic control body • an eligible land type (as defined in section 5.1.1 ‘Eligible land types’ in the SFI26 scheme information) • registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps • declared with a land use code which is compatible with the eligible land cover Land is not eligible for this action if you’ve previously: • registered it with an organic control body • received organic conversion aid or funding for it Eligible land Eligible land type Eligible land cover Compatible land use code Arable land used to grow crops Arable land Land use codes for arable crops or leguminous and nitrogen-fixing crops Temporary grassland Arable land TG01 Arable land lying fallow Arable land FA01 Improved permanent grassland, where cultivation is part of the conversion plan Permanent grassland PG01 Eligibility of protected land Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs): Eligible – you must: • give notice to Natural England to get SSSI consent before the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) offer you an SFI26 agreement • have received SSSI consent from Natural England before you do this action (read section 10.1 ‘SSSI consent’ in the SFI26 scheme information for more details) Historic and archaeological features: Eligible – you must get an SFI HEFER before you do this action (read section 5.3 ‘Land with historic or archaeological features’ in the SFI26 scheme information to find out how to do this). Available area you can enter into this action Total or part of the available area in a land parcel. It’s your responsibility to check that the area you enter is eligible for this action. You must do this action on the area entered into your SFI26 agreement. If something happens which means you cannot complete this action on some or all of the area, you must tell the RPA in writing as soon as possible. Read section 12.2 ‘What to do if you cannot comply with your agreement’ in the SFI26 scheme information to find out how to do this. Rotational or static action Not applicable – if you apply for this action for a second consecutive year you can either do it at: • a new location • the same location What to do You must: • follow the organic conversion plan for the land entered into this action and associated livestock, as approved and signed off by your organic control body • comply with organic standards on land entered into this action from the start of organic conversion period until this action’s end date • complete organic conversion and register the land entered into this action as ‘fully organic’ before this action’s end date When to do it You must do this action from its start date, throughout each year of this action’s duration until the land is registered as ‘fully organic’. How to do it It’s up to you how you do this action, as long as you: • follow this action’s requirements – these are identified by a ‘must’ • do the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim Evidence to keep You must keep: • a copy of the organic conversion plan approved and signed off by your organic control body • a valid organic certificate and schedule for all land entered into this action – this must cover at least the full period of this action’s duration You must supply this evidence if we ask for it. Other actions or options you can do on the same area as this action You can do the following actions or options on the same area in a land parcel as this action. Scheme Action or option codes SFI 2026 actions AGF1, AGF2, AHW10, AHW11, AHW3, AHW4, AHW5, AHW6, AHW7, AHW8, AHW9, BFS1, BFS6, CAHL1, CAHL2, CAHL3, CAHL4, CIGL1, CIGL2, CIGL3, CIPM2, CIPM3, CIPM4, CNUM2, CNUM3, CSAM2, CSAM3, PRF1, PRF2, PRF4, SOH1, SOH3, WBD3 SFI 2024 actions AGF1, AGF2, AHW1, AHW10, AHW11, AHW12, AHW3, AHW4, AHW5, AHW6, AHW7, AHW8, AHW9, BFS1, BFS2, BFS4, BFS6, CAHL1, CAHL2, CAHL3, CAHL4, CIGL1, CIGL2, CIGL3, CIPM1, CIPM2, CIPM3, CIPM4, CNUM1, CNUM2, CNUM3, CSAM1, CSAM2, CSAM3, OFA1, OFA6, PRF1, PRF2, PRF3, PRF4, SOH1, SOH2, SOH3, SOH4, WBD3, WBD8 SFI 2023 actions AHL1, AHL2, AHL3, AHL4, IGL1, IGL2, IGL3, IPM1, IPM2, IPM3, IPM4, NUM1, NUM2, NUM3, SAM1, SAM2, SAM3 CSHT actions from 2025 CAB10, CAB11, CAB14, CAB16, CAB17, CAB18, CAB19, CAB2, CAB5, CAB6, CAB7, CAGF1, CAGF2, CAGF3, CAGF4, CGS25, CGS4, CHS3, CHS9, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CSP20, CSP21, CSP9, CSW13, CSW17, CSW19, CWD3, CWS1, CWS3, CWT2 CS options AB10, AB11, AB14, AB16, AB3, AB5, AB6, AB7, AB8, BE1, GS3, HS3, HS9, OP1, OP2, OP4, OP5, SW1, SW11, SW13, SW2, SW3, SW4, SW5, SW6, WD3, WT2 ES options No ES revenue options If an action or option cannot be located on the same area, you may be able to do it on a different area in the same land parcel. Read section 5.6 ‘Land that’s already in other funding schemes or grants’ in the SFI26 scheme information for more details. You can do the following actions or options on the eligible boundaries of a land parcel entered into this action: • SFI 2026 actions: CHRW2, BND1, BND2 and WBD2 • SFI 2024 actions: CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, BND1, BND2 and WBD2 • SFI 2023 actions: HRW1, HRW2, HRW3 • CSHT actions: CHRW4 • CS options: BE3 (management of hedgerows)