Following the HM Treasury’s consultation on the taxation of environmental land management and ecosystem service markets, and the publication of the Rock Review, RICS Matrics Lancashire is delighted to present ‘In conversation with George Dunn, Tenant Farmers Association: the future of agricultural tenancies, taxation and environmental land management’.
The presentation will explore the opportunities of reform to agricultural property relief by rebalancing the landlord/ tenant relationship and contributing to enhanced food security, improved productivity, better environmental land management, and a more equitable and sustainable rural economy.
About George Dunn
George Dunn is the Chief Executive of the Tenant Farmers Association. He studied Agricultural Economics at Nottingham and Reading Universities before working as an Economist at the Headquarters of the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food (MAFF) in Whitehall, London between 1989 and 1992. He then spent four years as Rural Economics Adviser to the Country Landowners Association (CLA) before joining the Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) as its Chief Executive in January 1997.
He was a member of the National Trust’s Properties Committee from 2001 to 2004 and its Rural Enterprise Panel between 2004 and 2015. He continues as a National Trust Specialist Volunteer on land-use and Governance issues.
He has represented the TFA on the Tenancy Reform Industry Group since its formation in November 2002.
He was a member of the Future of Farming Review Group established by DEFRA between 2013 and 2014.
He was a member of the Rock Review Tenancy Working Group and is a current member of the Welsh Government’s Tenancy Working Group.
He is a member of the Prince's Countryside Fund Farm Advisory Group.
He was a trustee of The Farming Community Network from 2008 to 2015 serving as Chairman of the charity for five years between 2011 and 2015.
He became a Trustee of the Arthur Rank Centre in April 2019.
He was made an Associate of the Royal Agricultural Societies in June 2006 and a Fellow in May 2011.
He was awarded the Farmers Weekly Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022
He is on the leadership team of his local, Reading based, Elim Pentecostal church.
About the TFA
Formed in 1981, the TFA is the only organisation dedicated to supporting all farmers who do not own the land that they operate. This includes those involved in share farming agreements, grazing licences, contract farming arrangements as well as traditional tenant farmers. The TFA lobbies at all levels of Government for policies and legislation which assist those who do not own the land they farm and gives expert advice to its members. The TFA also seeks to support and enhance the landlord-tenant system in agriculture.
The TFA represents and advises members on all aspects of agricultural tenancy, land occupation and ancillary matters. It also aims to improve the professional and technical knowledge of its members, to increase the flow of new tenancies and other valid farming opportunities onto the market and to help the farming industry best apply existing legislation occupation of non-owned farm land.