Environment and agriculture : Overview

The industry in a nutshell

• The environment and agriculture sector comprises 17 different industries. The main areas of work cover land management and production, animal welfare and environmental industries.
• The current economic situation is affecting the UK environmental employment market and there is evidence of wage restraint, short-time working and pay review deferrals to protect long-term recruitment. 
• Opportunities exist in both the public and private sectors. Self-employment is a key feature of the sector.
• Entry to the sector is becoming increasingly competitive due to the growing demand for skilled workers.
• There has been a recent decline in production horticulture but there is a steady demand for garden designers/landscapers.

What kind of work can I do?

Land management and production

• Agricultural crops - producing and managing food crops such as cereal and root crops, non-food and industrial crops such as energy crops, crops for paper and materials like hemp.
• Agricultural livestock - dairy, beef, pigs, sheep and poultry. Also sales, research and policy development.
• Agribusiness - food distribution, international buying and trading of agricultural produce, agronomy (field crop production and soil management), agrichemicals, crop consultation, rural accounting and research.
• Aquaculture - breeding of fish, mainly salmon and trout.
• Floristry - selling and arranging flowers.
• Production horticulture - growing fruit, vegetables and plants.
• Land-based engineering - design development, manufacturing, field engineering, service engineering, environmental control, servicing, mechanisation, marketing and sales.
• Trees and timber - arboriculture (woodland management), forestry and timber processing.
• Land management - land agent and rural practice surveyor.

Animal health and welfare

• Animal care - kennels, catteries, animal welfare charities and the pet industry.
• Animal technology - the care and welfare of animals used in biomedical research.
• Equine - welfare, supervision, training and riding of horses.
• Farriery - shoeing of horses and other animals.

Environmental industries

• Environmental conservation - protection of rural and urban landscapes, habitat management, community recycling and countryside recreation.
• Fisheries management - angling, freshwater fisheries and conserving freshwater habitats.
• Game and wildlife management and gamekeeping.
• Landscaping - landscape architecture, garden design and amenity horticulture.

See A future in , the careers website of Lantra: The Sector Skills Council for the Environmental and Land-based Sector , for more information on the range of opportunities available.

What’s it like working in this industry?

• Many people work in small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) or micro-businesses. Around 96% of businesses employ fewer than ten people (Lantra Skills Assessment Report, 2009).
• Self-employment is a key feature of employment in this industry, meaning that a flexible attitude and good communication and business management skills are essential.
• The hours can be long and irregular and salary levels vary dramatically, depending on the industry you work in, whether you work in the public or private sector and whether you are an employee or self-employed.
• Over 70% of the workforce is male compared to 55% nationally, although the gender balance is more equal in environmental conservation (Lantra Skills Assessment Report, 2009).
• The Women's Farm and Garden Association  was set up to support women in farming and horticulture. Women in Rural Enterprise (WiRE)  supports women in rural businesses.

How big is this industry?

• Currently, there are 1.2 million people working in the environmental and land-based sector, with a further 500,000 volunteers (Lantra, 2010).
• The biggest industry by number of employees is agricultural livestock followed by landscape, agricultural crops, production horticulture, environmental conservation and equine.

Where can I work?

• The environmental and agricultural sector represents 9% of all businesses in the UK. The sector is largest in Northern Ireland (23%), Wales (16%), Scotland (13%), the South West of England (14%) and the South East of England (6%) (Lantra Skills Assessment Report, 2009).
• Predictably, most jobs are based in the rural economy, with 87% of agriculture, forestry and fisheries-based industries located in rural areas. However, some industries, such as floristry, horticulture and landscaping, have a more urban focus.
• Land-based qualifications, particularly agricultural or environmental degrees, are often transferable within Europe and the rest of the world. For more information see opportunities abroad.