Roughly 9% of the farmland in England will have to be cut by 2050 if we are to meet environmental and climate targets, a Government consultation document has proposed.
The land will need to be repurposed for the creation of new woodland and other natural habitats.
Farmers will also have to adapt a further 10% of farmland, introducing natural margins in fields or grasslands or incorporating more trees, alongside agricultural production. Buffer strips along rivers to minimise water pollution will also need to be created.
In total, it means that nearly a fifth of the UK's agricultural land will need to change, as part of efforts to improve the ecosystem.
- 9% will be changed completely from food production to make way for the creation of woodland and other natural habitats
- 1% will undergo small changes, such as planting or increasing natural field margins
- 4% will need to incorporate more trees alongside food production
- 5% of land will need to be repurposed mostly for environmental benefits, while still producing food
The Government says around 1.6 million hectares of farming land needs to be repurposed in total.
The news comes as the Government works to create a strategy for future land use in England called a Land Use Framework. It has launched a 12-week consultation to help ministers achieve goals of restoring nature, securing clean power, building 1.5 million homes, creating infrastructure as well as protecting farmland.
While the National Farmers' Union has welcomed the consultation, its president Tom Bradshaw has warned that any future plans must have "British food at its heart".
In the plans, the Government aims to use farmland more intensively, producing more food in less space.
Steve Reed, secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs (DEFRA), has called the launch of the consultation the start of a "national conversation" and wants to hear from farmers, landowners, businesses and nature groups on the proposed plans.
Reed has promised that he has "a cast-iron commitment to maintain long-term food production" and that the "primary purpose of farming will always be to produce food that feeds the nation".
However, he also said that farm businesses need to maximise the potential of multiple uses of land, supporting long-term food production capacity and unlocking opportunities for businesses to drive private finance into the sector.
Reed added that while the Government was “not going to tell farmers what to do”, “levers and incentives” would be used to ensure land was used in the most efficient way.
Energy secretary Ed Miliband said the biggest threat to nature and food security is the climate crisis, which threatens our best farmland, food production and the livelihoods of farmers.
"As we deliver our mission for the UK to become a clean energy superpower as part of the Plan for Change, we will ensure a proper balance between food security, nature preservation and clean energy."
A welcome consultation
Environment and wildlife groups have also welcomed the opportunity to have input into the new land use framework. Beccy Speight, RSPB chief executive, said: “The joined-up approach being taken to create this framework is exactly what’s needed to determine how we make best use of the limited land available in England."
Speight added: "Delivering a future that safeguards nature, tackles climate change, ensures food security and resilient farm businesses, and enables sustainable development is the only sensible path. It’s possible to do all of this.
“The last year has seen record levels of flooding impacting farmers and land managers across the country, largely due to extreme weather. To tackle this, we must ensure this framework is aligned with the necessary incentives to support the adoption of more nature-friendly and climate resilient practices."
Main image credit: Getty Images
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