Food vs. Energy Security: Can we have both? A note on Defra’s land use consultation

In recent years we have observed an emerging narrative that presents food security and energy security (with a particular focus on the deployment of ground-mounted solar PV panels) as mutually exclusive objectives for the UK Government and public policy. In recognition of this, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) opened a public consultation on 31 January 2025 with the aim to devise a new strategic approach to “protect the most productive agricultural land and boost food security” in the UK and balance the UK's wider strategic goals in relation to the use of land, namely: stimulating economic growth; building new homes and continuing to develop renewable energy infrastructure.

Farmers, landowners and other stakeholders will be invited to a series of workshops to offer their insights towards the development of a Land Use Framework (“LUF”). The LUF is intended to collect enhanced data on land use to give decision makers the ability to balance simultaneous but potentially conflicting objectives. Defra have stated that the framework will not “tell people what to do with their fields or replace the planning system”.  

The Government claim that the LUF will aid agricultural businesses by allowing them to “maximise the potential of multiple uses of land” and ultimately protect the UK’s food security alongside generating private investment into ancillary uses of land. Ed Miliband has stated that the Government “will ensure a proper balance between food security, nature preservation and clean energy” and “can roll out renewables in a way that is both positive for our energy security and our environment”. The Government expects to use the LUF to supplement its Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (Planning for the future: The strategic spatial energy plan) to ensure that in meeting 2030 clean energy goals, the UK's food security is also preserved.

As part of the consultation, the Government have provided a spatial analysis to support discussions around land use. The data indicates that agricultural land will need to be repurposed to meet legally binding targets under the Environment Act and Climate Change Act. The analysis also suggests land area used for key utilities (including solar and wind farms, power stations, water works, gas works) in England in 2022 covered just 0.2% of land. Whilst this is a relatively small amount of land, long-term planning is required to ensure the continued development of renewable energy infrastructure does not conflict with the agricultural sector and conservation goals.

What could it mean?

The outcome of the consultation will aim to give priority to land uses that are more scarce or spatially sensitive, thus "playing to the strengths of the land". In this context it is possible that certain land will be prioritised for renewable generation, where grid scarcity precludes other areas from use. Conversely, where land is better suited to food production, such use will be prioritised.

Having an overarching framework that underpins Government policy in taking decisions that affect land usage could be a positive step in bringing disparate considerations together. At the same time, it is important to acknowledge that different land uses could co-exist. Whist there hasn't been an uptake of agrivoltaics in the UK, we are aware of demonstrator projects in other jurisdictions (RWE is operating a demonstrator plant in Germany and OET in Greece is manufacturing organic solar PV panels for installation on greenhouses), which may, in due course support the case for the wider adoption of agrivoltaics.

The consultation closes at 11:59 on 25 April 2025 and the final LUF is intended to be published later in 2025. You can find a link to the consultation here.