Tenth of England’s farmland must be rewilded to hit climate targets, ministers estimate

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Almost one-tenth of England’s farmland will need to be converted to low-carbon use such as woodland or heath by 2050 in order for the country to hit its climate targets, according to government estimates published on Friday. 

About 760,000 hectares — or 9 per cent of England’s agricultural land — will need to “change away from agricultural land for environmental and climate benefits”, it said. A further 9 per cent will need to change to accommodate climate benefits, such as sustainable farming practices.

The National Farmers’ Union has warned that the sector is already being forced to scale back food production in favour of alternatives such as rewilding or growing crops for biofuels in order to keep their businesses viable.

Losing additional farming land would also increase the UK’s dependence on imported foodstuffs.

The estimates were published as part of the government’s consultation into a long-awaited “land use framework” that aims to balance competing demands on England’s land, from housing and renewable energy to food production and nature restoration. 

“The primary purpose of farming will always be to produce the food that feeds the nation,” said environment secretary Steve Reed. He stressed that the framework would help decision makers protect “our highest quality agricultural land and make decisions about the long-term future of farm businesses”.

Alongside the estimates, the government said that any impact on food production from the land use changes could be offset by using technology and sustainable farming techniques to increase crop yields.

Successive governments have shied away from embarking on the framework over fears of the backlash it would receive from farmers.

NFU president Tom Bradshaw said: “We must have a land use plan in place, underpinned by sound science and evidence, that has British food at its heart.”

But Victoria Vyvyan, president of the Country Land and Business Association, said it could mean farmers being told “what they are and aren’t allowed to grow, plant and rear on their land” and called for safeguards to prevent “mission creep” from officials.

“Whenever the state gets involved, its tendency is to only become ever more prescriptive,” she added. “Today, the framework might be light touch, but tomorrow it won’t be.”

Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael, chair of the cross-party environment, food and rural affairs committee, said the framework was “long overdue”.

“Farmers need to be able to plan ahead and they and other stakeholders have long called for clarity amidst a myriad of often conflicting demands,” he said.

Two-thirds of England’s land is agricultural, according to official statistics, with 38 per cent made up of arable land and 29 per cent grassland. The country’s population is predominantly urban, with 83 per cent of people living in built-up areas.

England’s farmers are already under pressure from the impact of heavy flooding, high inflation and huge cuts to their subsidy payments.

Many are also furious about the Labour government’s decision to overturn inheritance tax rules, which means some will be liable to pay tax on inherited agricultural and business assets that were previously exempt.

Farmers also face a shift to a new post-Brexit subsidy scheme that offers them incentives to restore the natural environment, sometimes at the expense of food production. 

The Environmental Land Management schemes, or ELMs, provide payments for farmers to adopt sustainable farming practices such as soil management, or to take land out of farming altogether. Scotland and Wales have separate devolved systems.

The schemes have been criticised by farming groups such as the NFU, which say farmers are being paid to inadvertently lower the country’s food production, despite the last government’s commitment to maintaining food self-sufficiency.

The sector had hoped that a land use framework would offer clarity about the intentions behind farming policy.

Downing Street said: “It’s important to be clear that this isn’t about the government dictating how land is used, or taking valuable, productive land away from farms.

“The government recognises that land is in high demand, and that is why we are starting a national conversation with those involved, whether it be landowners, farmers, developers and more, about how we use it to its full potential, not least for food production.”