Liberal Democrats launch food security plan due to land use concerns
Liberal Democrats have launched a food security plan after a North Yorkshire MP pressed Parliament to avoid expanding renewable energy generation by sacrificing land needed for food production.
Lib Dem environment spokesman Tim Farron called for a “fundamental cultural shift in our attitude towards farming,” amid concerns about long-term workforce shortages and the country’s ability to maintain domestic food production.
To encourage more young entrants into agriculture, the Lib Dems want to establish a Farm First programme, a farming-sector equivalent to Teach First, the UK's largest teacher training programme which the party says would give young people the training and incentives needed to choose farming as a career.
Mr Farron, whose Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency has included the Yorkshire Dales National Park, said: “Britain is not secure unless its food supply is secure.
"We have to answer how we value our land for what it can produce.
"We will not achieve food security while we have an agricultural policy – designed by the last Conservative government and continued by this Labour government – which actively disincentivises the production of food.
"To add insult to this injury, for the first time since the 1940s, there is not a universal offer for farmers in England to take part in.”
His comments follow government figures, published in September, suggesting just five per cent of British farmers are aged under 35, 15 per cent were under the age of 45 and that 40 per cent of farmers were aged over 65. According to 2023 Defra figures, the UK is 62 per cent self-sufficient in food.
While this reflects similar levels of the past decade, some sectors have seen a recent decline. The UK’s self-sufficiency in fresh vegetables is at its lowest since records began in 1988 at 53 per cent.
However, the Royal Agriculture University has recently reported an 11 per cent increase in applications for its farming course, which it has put down to the impact of Jeremy Clarkson’s TV show about his farm.
Doncaster North MP and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the biggest threat to nature and food security and rural communities is the climate crisis.
A report by the science and technology in agriculture committee last month found construction of vast solar farms to help meet the Government’s green energy targets could contribute to a quarter of the UK’s farmland being taken out of production.
Speaking in Parliament, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Tom Gordon said the priority should be making better use of existing infrastructure, such as the roof space on warehouses and commercial buildings, before turning to farmland.
This approach, the Liberal Democrat said, would enable the expansion of renewable energy without sacrificing land needed for food production.
Mr Gordon was speaking following residents raising food security concerns over a proposal solar farm in Scotton, near Harrogate.
He said: “Covering prime farmland with huge solar farms is not the answer. The proposal in Scotton has understandably caused concern among residents who don’t want to see productive fields lost.”
His comments follow similar concerns being raised by Conservative Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake, who described proposals to install solar panels across top quality farmland as “bonkers”.
They also follow Selby’s Labour MP Keir Mather highlighting concerns over a large-scale solar scheme near Escrick.