UK farmland at risk under outdated classification system

England’s most valuable farmland is being classified using outdated data going back to the 1940s, potentially compromising the nation’s food security, warns a new report by CPRE, the countryside charity. 

The report reveals that the Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) system assesses land productivity based on historical data, including rainfall data from 1941 to 1970 and temperatures from 1961 to 1980.

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CPRE suggests this reliance on decades-old information may lead to significant overestimations of land productivity, with much less land then being designated as Best and Most Versatile (BMV) for food production.

Roger Mortlock, chief executive of CPRE, said: “The government is making crucial decisions using data from when Winston Churchill was prime minister.

“The new Land Use Framework is an opportunity to make the best possible use of our finite land and balance competing demands from food production, nature recovery, clean energy and housing.

“If that’s going to work, a long overdue rethink of Agricultural Land Classification is needed.”

Outdated

The outdated classification system could have serious implications for the UK’s ability to grow its own food.

With the productivity of land being overestimated and less being designated BMV, more land is likely to be given the green light for non-food producing activities, such as solar farms, house building or rewilding.

CPRE’s report underscores the need for a more accurate and up-to-date system to assess land productivity, ensuring that the UK’s most fertile farmland is properly identified and protected.

The charity is urging the government to act swiftly to safeguard England’s farmland. Its recommendations include:

• Updating the Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) with current climate data
• Re-surveying lowland peatlands, which are highly productive but vulnerable
• Enhancing planning protections for Best and Most Versatile (BMV) land
• Integrating the revised ALC into the wider Land Use Framework.