The rate at which infrastructure is built on prime farmland in England has risen a hundredfold in the past decade. This is a possible threat to the nation’s food security. Farmland that could grow 250,000 tons of vegetables a year has been lost to development, with 300,000 homes built on prime land since 2010.
Politicians have been looking at the way land is used in the country, as in order to tackle the climate emergency as well as feed people, farming must become lower-emission, more productive and increase biodiversity.
Countryside charity CPRE is calling for the government to produce a comprehensive land use strategy, setting out what type of land should be used for which purpose and is asking for a “brownfield first” approach to housebuilding. It is also calling for a firm presumption against development on prime farmland.
Source: theguardian.com