English farmland could be cut by 9% to hit green targets

To conscionable biology targets 9% of England's farmland volition request to beryllium converted into forests and carnal habitats, according to caller proposals released by the government.

The benchmark was acceptable retired successful a consultation launched connected Friday by Environment Secretary Steve Reed connected managing England's onshore to prioritise nutrient production, nett zero targets and nature.

In total, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) foretell astir a 5th of the UK's farming onshore volition request to chopped cultivation usage but reason greater efficiencies connected the remaining onshore could support UK nutrient accumulation astatine existent levels.

Tory person Kemi Badenoch accused Labour of "adding adjacent much burdens connected farmers".

The Land Use Framework was owed to beryllium published successful 2023 but has faced sizeable delays, with the scope and absorption of the promised argumentation changing implicit time.

The model was archetypal suggested by the 2021 Dimbleby Review on a National Food Strategy, to assistance usher farming incentives and regulations.

On Friday, the authorities opened a consultation calling for ideas connected however England should negociate onshore usage changes to equilibrium nutrient security, quality recovery, infrastructure needs and clime goals.

A moving land-use model would marque it little apt "high-quality farmland" volition beryllium mislaid to housebuilding oregon vigor projects, Defra said.

About 70% of England's onshore is utilized for farming.

Government investigation recovered 1.6 cardinal hectares of farming onshore needs to beryllium repurposed to conscionable its ineligible biology and clime targets by 2050, including:

• 1% making tiny changes specified arsenic planting herbs oregon different plants on tract margins
• 4% incorporating much trees alongside nutrient accumulation
• 5% repurposed mostly for biology benefits, portion inactive producing food
• 9% removed from nutrient accumulation to marque mode for the instauration of woodland and different earthy habitats

Defra accidental the interaction of these onshore usage changes connected home nutrient accumulation volition beryllium offset by productivity improvements.

If home accumulation does decline, England whitethorn request to import much food, expanding the UK's vulnerability to planetary nutrient terms shocks and proviso concatenation disruptions.

"England is present 1 of the astir nature-depleted countries successful the world," the study said - with mediocre farming practices and clime alteration damaging ungraded and expanding h2o pollution.

Under the plans woodland would screen 16.5% of England's onshore by 2050, with an other 500,000 hectares of caller oregon restored "wildlife-rich habitat".

Restoration of degraded peatlands would besides assistance chopped 8 megatons of CO2 emissions annually, Defra predict.

Ahead of the consultation, Reed said that Labour would "not dictate" what landowners should do.

He said the model "provides accusation to marque it little apt that onshore volition beryllium utilized for star farms erstwhile it's bully for nutrient production".

"There is capable onshore to physique the infrastructure that we request and turn the nutrient that we request and reconstruct quality if we bash it successful a rational way, based connected data," helium added.

His comments travel aft Energy Secretary Ed Miliband approved 2 star farms past week, some of which are partially connected cultivation land.

Kemi Badenoch told broadcasters connected a sojourn to a workplace successful Cheshire she was "worried that we are adding adjacent much burdens connected farmers".

She argued the authorities were "killing farmers successful our country" done the instauration of "the household workplace tax, the household concern tax, the emergence successful nationalist insurance,".

"To adhd adjacent much burdens saying that we are going to walk much clip connected nett zero shows they are not serious," Badenoch said.

Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England, said a onshore usage model would assistance the state determination beyond a "tired aged binary choices, betwixt lodging and greenspace oregon Nature and food".

Nature was "too often" portrayed arsenic a "barrier to improvement and nutrient security", helium added.