The short answer. The Sustainable Farming Incentive for 2026, SFI26, pays farmers in England for actions that include no-till, winter and summer cover crops, herbal leys and companion crops. It pays for doing the action, not for a measured change in the soil. Window 2 opens in September 2026 for farm businesses registered with the Rural Payments Agency, and agreements usually last three years. Soil carbon measurement shows whether those actions are building carbon on your fields, and land in a carbon project can also go into SFI26 actions if it is eligible.
Last reviewed September 2026. Scheme details change: check the current SFI26 guidance on GOV.UK before you apply.
Where SFI26 stands
- Window 1 opened on 30 June 2026 for small farms and farms without an existing Environmental Land Management revenue agreement, and closed on 28 August 2026.
- Window 2 opens in September 2026 for all farmers and land managers. Your farm business needs an SBI and at least 3 hectares of agricultural land. There is no fixed closing date, because it depends on demand.
- Agreements usually last three years, depending on the actions you choose. There are 71 actions in the SFI26 offer.
The SFI26 actions that work on the soil
These are the actions closest to the practices that research links with soil carbon. Each has its own rules and eligibility, set out in the SFI26 actions on GOV.UK.
| Code | Action | What it changes in the soil |
|---|---|---|
| SOH1 | No-till farming | Less disturbance, so less organic matter exposed and broken down |
| CSAM2 | Multi-species winter cover crop | Living roots and cover through the winter |
| SOH3 | Multi-species summer-sown cover crop | Closes the green gap between cash crops |
| CSAM3 | Herbal leys | A deep-rooting, mixed grass phase in the rotation |
| CIPM3 | Companion crop on arable and horticultural land | More roots and cover alongside the main crop |
| CNUM2 and CNUM3 | Legumes on improved grassland, and legume fallow | Nitrogen fixed by the plants rather than bought in |
| WBD4 | Arable reversion to grassland with low fertiliser input | Takes land out of cultivation into grass |
| AHW6 and AHW7 | Basic and enhanced overwinter stubble | Residue left on the surface over winter |
| PRF1 | Variable rate application of nutrients | Nutrients matched to need, which can cut fertiliser emissions |
What the research says about each of these practices, and why the results vary, is in does regenerative farming build soil carbon.
What SFI pays for, and what it cannot show
SFI is paid for carrying out an action to its rules. It does not measure what the action did to your soil, and SFI26 has no action for testing soil organic matter: the soil assessment and management plan action from earlier SFI offers is not in the SFI26 list. So an agreement tells you what you did. It does not tell you whether your soil gained or lost carbon while you did it.
That matters, because the same action can build carbon on one farm and do little on another. Soils, rotations and weather differ, and a wet winter or a dry summer can push carbon down whatever the system.
Measuring whether your actions are working
Take a baseline, then measure the same fields every year at the same point in the year, and you can see which of them are gaining carbon and which are not, with the error stated. Fields in an action can be compared with fields that are not. If you are starting new actions in this window, a baseline taken in the 2026 autumn-winter sampling window records your soil before those actions have had time to change it. The window is open until the end of February 2027.
Because we relate soil carbon change to management practice across every project we monitor, we can also tell you what turned the same pattern around on farms like yours. How it is done is in how soil carbon is measured.
Can you combine SFI26 with soil carbon credits?
The SFI26 scheme rules say you can enter land that is already in a private sector scheme, such as carbon trading, into SFI26 actions if it is eligible for the action. Defra reviews that policy every year. A carbon project has its own rules too, including on public funding, so ask both before you sign. It is one of the questions to ask any carbon scheme.
The two pay for different things. SFI pays for an action. A soil carbon credit is issued for a measured result: each tonne sequestered after greenhouse gas emissions are deducted.
Questions we are asked about SFI and soil carbon
Which SFI26 actions help soil health?
The actions closest to soil are no-till farming (SOH1), multi-species winter and summer-sown cover crops (CSAM2 and SOH3), herbal leys (CSAM3) and companion crops (CIPM3), along with legumes, arable reversion to grassland and overwinter stubble. Check each action’s rules on GOV.UK.
Does SFI26 pay for soil testing?
No. The soil assessment and soil organic matter testing action from earlier SFI offers is not in the SFI26 list of 71 actions.
Can I get SFI payments and sell carbon credits from the same land?
The SFI26 rules allow land already in a private sector scheme, such as carbon trading, to be entered into SFI26 actions if it is eligible, and Defra reviews that policy each year. The carbon project will have its own rules, so check both before you sign.
Who can apply for SFI26 in Window 2?
All farmers and land managers in England whose farm business is registered with the Rural Payments Agency, so it has an SBI, and has at least 3 hectares of agricultural land, as well as meeting the other scheme rules.
Will SFI actions increase my soil carbon?
They can, but not by the same amount on every farm, and not every year. The only way to know on your fields is to measure them against a baseline, once a year, at the same point in the year.
How do I measure the soil carbon on my SFI land?
Send us your SBI number and your hectares and we will send a written quote within two working days. Minimum project area is 150 hectares, and it does not have to be your whole farm. Get a quote.
Sources: SFI26 actions and SFI26 scheme rules and guidance (updated 28 August 2026), GOV.UK.
Part of our guide to soil carbon measurement for farms. Related: does regenerative farming build soil carbon · the baseline · farm carbon audit or soil carbon measurement
