Government has launched a consultation on a new approach to Land Use, which will “give decision makers the data they need to protect Britain’s most productive agricultural land” in order to boost food security.

The consultation looks at a “new strategic approach” to managing land use in England to boost food security “in a time of global uncertainty and a changing climate”.

Government said this would support its missions under the Plan for Change, including delivering new housebuilding, energy infrastructure and new towns. It also said the Land Use Framework will use the “most sophisticated land use data ever published” to provide the principles, advanced data and tools to support decision-making by local Government, landowners, businesses, farmers and nature groups to make the most of our land.

It stated that this would “help deliver the different objectives it has for England’s finite land”, including growing food, building 1.5 million homes this parliament, and restoring nature.

There will be workshops across the country to “bring farmers and landowners to the table”, to put the insights of the people who manage Britain’s landscapes at the centre of Government’s work to develop a final Land Use Framework.

Government highlighted that protecting UK food security and “pursuing its mission for economic growth go hand-in-hand”, with the highest quality agricultural land already protected for food production whilst kickstarting the economy by building new housing and rolling out renewable energy to make the UK a “clean energy superpower”.

It also said that local planning would benefit from any data outlined in the Land Use Framework, combined with the energy and housing spatial plans and a new food strategy. Government said this would ensure it builds 1.5 million new homes over five years, a generation of new towns, and the energy infrastructure needed to achieve Clean Power by 2030, “while protecting food security and our natural world”.

Cast-iron commitment to maintain long-term food production

Speaking at the launch at the Royal Geographical Society, the Secretary of State for the Environment Steve Reed set out how Government will “protect farmland and unlock growth”, stating: “Today is the start of a national conversation to transform how we use land in this country. It’s time for policy to leave the chambers of Westminster and reflect the actual lived experiences of farmers, landowners and planners on the ground.

“Using the most sophisticated land use data ever published, we will transform how we use our land to deliver on our Plan for Change. That means enabling the protection of prime agricultural land, restore our natural world and drive economic growth.

“This framework will not tell people what to do.

“It is about working together to pool our knowledge and resources, to give local and national Government, landowners, businesses, farmers and nature groups the data and tools they need to take informed actions that are best for them, best for the land, and best for the country.”

Speaking about farmland, he said: “This Government has a cast-iron commitment to maintain long-term food production.

“The primary purpose of farming will always be to produce food that feeds the nation. This framework will give decision makers the toolkit they need to protect our highest quality agricultural land.”

“We will ensure a proper balance between food security, nature preservation and clean energy.”

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.

“We can roll out renewables in a way that is both positive for our energy security and our environment.”

AHDB responds

A statement from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) said: “AHDB has undertaken considerable analysis and added crucial insight into the new Agricultural Policy in England and the potential impact that current policy will have on agricultural land use, farm business incomes and sustainability.

“We welcome the opportunity to respond to Defra’s ‘new approach to land use’ consultation and to share this insight with policy makers, ensuring that independent evidence highlights the key challenges and needs of farming businesses and is used to help define future policy.

“The analysis quoted in the consultation suggests a range of 1-9% reduction in land use for agriculture needs to be carefully examined. There will need to be careful consideration of the longer-term effect upon food security and the potential financial impact on farmers. The balance of incentivising food production with creating a vibrant environment is a key challenge, AHDB is ready to play its part in ensuring farmers’ views are heard and clear independent evidence is used to assess the potential impact of proposed policy changes.

“AHDB will be responding to the consultation in due course, and a copy of our response will be made available on our website.”