Britain’s food security hangs in the balance as conflicting land use demands and unclear government policies threaten the future of family farms. During a Westminster Hall debate on November 18, MPs warned that unless ministers implement a coherent land strategy and end the financial uncertainty plaguing farmers, longstanding agricultural businesses could face closure.
Sarah Dyke, Liberal Democrat MP for Glastonbury and Somerton, painted a stark picture of farming communities under siege. Competing pressures for land, delays in new farming support schemes, and contentious inheritance tax proposals are pushing family farms to breaking point. Dyke highlighted that over 800 mostly small family farms operate in her constituency, but many now question their viability amid mounting threats.
The government’s consultation estimates that up to 14% of England’s farmland could be lost to food production by 2050—a worrying prospect amidst global instability. Dyke emphasized that food security is integral to national security: “If we lose our farms, we lose our food security, and if we lose our food security, we lose our national security.”
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She praised local farmers adopting environmentally sustainable practices but stressed these efforts require stable financial support. The Liberal Democrats propose increasing the farming budget by £1 billion annually. Yet thousands of countryside stewardship agreements have lapsed without renewal, forcing farmers to dismantle decades of environmental progress.
The dairy sector exemplifies recent challenges, with more than 30% of dairy farms lost since 2015 due to volatile prices and market pressures. Dyke urged ministers to back her Dairy Farming and Dairy Products Bill, which aims to strengthen supply chain regulations, protect British trade, and mandate clear country-of-origin labels. Farmers seek fairness—not “financial whiplash.”
Dyke delivered her harshest criticism toward the government’s inheritance tax reforms, dubbed the “family farm tax.” While ministers claim it will affect 27% of farms, the National Farmers’ Union estimates 75% of commercial family farms will face the threshold, risking forced sales of generational landholdings. One family near Charlton Musgrove fears losing 350 years of stewardship. Dyke implored ministers to reconsider, warning the policy jeopardizes food security.
Dr. Roz Savage, Liberal Democrat MP for South Cotswolds, underscored the fierce competition for limited land between housing, renewable energy, biodiversity, and agriculture. Recent government decisions, she argued, treat land as a zero-sum game, sidelining farmers and communities. Demonstrations from multi-functional planning pilots in Devon and Cambridgeshire reveal solutions integrating housing, energy, net zero commitments, and food production.
Savage highlighted local tensions in her constituency, such as a 2,000-acre proposed solar farm at Lime Down that would remove substantial farmland. Though she supports affordable housing, she criticized planning rules for enabling unchecked developer activity. She urged government publication of the long-delayed land use strategy, aligned with a clear food strategy and farming roadmap.
Farmers aspire to be allies in climate solutions but are hampered by contradictory government policies and ongoing economic blows, including the sudden end to sustainable farming incentives and inheritance tax pressures. These undermine both environmental resilience and farming livelihoods.
Responding for the government, Dame Angela Eagle acknowledged food security’s critical role in national security amid global crises like the pandemic and Ukraine war. She highlighted collaborative efforts such as the F4 group uniting farmers, retailers, and hospitality sectors to mitigate risks. The UK produces approximately 65% of its own food, reaching 77% for domestically cultivable products—a figure stable for two decades.
Eagle noted government investment in environmental land management schemes within a £7 billion farming budget targeting nature restoration and climate resilience. She dismissed concerns that renewable energy infrastructure, like solar farms, threatens food production; solar covers just 0.1% of England’s land, with planned expansion projected to 0.4% by 2035—less than golf courses or grouse moors.
The government plans to publish its land use framework early next year, which will complement the food strategy and farming roadmap. Eagle affirmed commitment to investment, innovation, and supply chain fairness, underscoring that environmental progress and food production can coexist effectively when properly managed.