DIVERSIFICATION is the key to farmers' survival, according to a new report into the future of upland hill farming.
The North Yorkshire study recommends increasing farm sizes, a move to organic farming, and greater involvement in conservation schemes.
The report - Future Trends in Farming in the Yorkshire Dales, Craven and Richmondshire - was produced by the countryside and community research unit at Cheltenham and Gloucester College of Higher Education.
But despite offering several methods to aid farmers, it also predicts that many farm businesses will disappear in the next ten years.
The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority says it will use the report as the first step towards reviewing agricultural policies in the area's Local Plan.
Authority chairman Steve Macare said: "This is a comprehensive report that balances the reality of the bad news with positive suggestions for farm diversification - options based on fact.
"This authority needs now to consider the findings very carefully.
"We need to shape our planning policies so they support sustainable agriculture, recognising the invaluable role played by farmers in the management and conservation of the environment.
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