The Labour government's push for renewable energy has found itself at odds with farmers across England, as large-scale solar projects threaten to consume valuable agricultural land. In Malton, North Yorkshire, tenant farmers Rob and Emma Sturdy are among those facing an uncertain future after being informed that nearly half of their farmland is set to be repurposed for solar energy infrastructure.

As the UK moves towards achieving its net-zero emissions targets by 2050, the government's ambition to expand solar energy has led to a rise in tensions between environmental priorities and food security concerns.

A Policy Shift Towards Green Energy

Since taking office, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government has ramped up its commitment to renewable energy. In 2024, the government introduced policies aimed at tripling solar energy capacity by 2035, incentivizing landowners to lease their land to energy companies for large-scale solar farms.

Labour’s Green Energy Strategy outlines that a significant portion of this expansion will come from land repurposed for solar panels rather than rooftops or brownfield sites. However, tenant farmers, who rely on leased land for their livelihoods, argue they are being unfairly sidelined in these decisions.

"Farming is not just a job for us—it’s our way of life," said Rob Sturdy, who currently farms 250 acres of tenanted land in Malton. "We’ve been told that 42% of our land could soon be covered in solar panels, which will directly impact our ability to grow crops and keep livestock."

Farmers Raise Alarm on Food Security

The push for solar energy on agricultural land raises wider concerns over the UK’s food security. Farmers’ groups argue that replacing productive farmland with solar infrastructure could weaken domestic food production and increase reliance on imports.

According to the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), the UK is already at risk of declining food self-sufficiency, producing only 60% of its food—a figure that has been falling steadily over the past two decades. If solar projects continue to take up more land, that percentage could decline further, making the country more vulnerable to global supply chain disruptions.

“We need a balance,” said Tom Bradshaw, NFU Deputy President. “We support renewable energy, but we can’t let it come at the cost of homegrown food production. There are plenty of brownfield sites and rooftops that should be prioritized before prime agricultural land is taken away from farmers.”

Tenant Farmers: The Forgotten Stakeholders?

Unlike landowners, who can financially benefit from leasing land for solar projects, tenant farmers often have little say in the matter. Most tenancy agreements do not grant tenants rights over land-use changes decided by the landowner.

Emma Sturdy, Rob’s wife and co-farmer, emphasized the emotional and financial toll of the uncertainty.

“We’ve invested years of our lives into making this farm productive,” she said. “If we lose nearly half of our land, we might not be able to sustain the business. And with the cost of relocating or starting over elsewhere, many tenant farmers like us will be left without options.”

The Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) has urged the government to introduce protections that would prevent evictions or forced land-use changes that displace tenant farmers.

Government Response and Potential Solutions

In response to the growing backlash, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband defended the government's strategy, stating that "expanding solar energy is critical to meeting our renewable energy goals and reducing dependency on fossil fuels." However, he acknowledged that concerns about land-use conflicts need to be addressed.

Miliband suggested that the government is exploring policies to prioritize non-agricultural sites for solar expansion. “We want to ensure that we are not unnecessarily reducing food production capacity,” he said in a recent statement.

Some suggested solutions include:

  • A national land-use strategy that clearly defines where solar panels should be installed, prioritizing rooftops, brownfield sites, and industrial areas before farmland.
  • Financial incentives for farmers who integrate solar panels on the less productive portions of their land rather than prime agricultural fields.
  • Stronger legal protections for tenant farmers, ensuring they have a say in land-use changes that affect their livelihoods.

Conclusion: Striking a Balance Between Energy and Agriculture

As the UK accelerates its transition to renewable energy, policymakers must carefully weigh the impact on the agricultural sector. While solar energy plays a crucial role in reducing carbon emissions, food security and the protection of farming communities should not be an afterthought.

For farmers like Rob and Emma Sturdy, the battle for land security is not just about solar panels—it’s about the survival of a way of life that has sustained rural Britain for generations. Whether the government takes steps to address these concerns will determine how smoothly the country can transition to a greener future without leaving its farmers behind.

References: