THE UK is running out of the land it needs to meet its growing population's food demands, with a two million hectare shortfall possible by 2030.
This worrying forecast comes in a new report co-ordinated by the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, titled 'The Best Use of UK Agricultural Land', and produced in collaboration with Asda, Sainsbury's, Nestlé, BOCM PAULS, AB Agri, Yara, BASF, and Volac, as well as the English NFU and the Country Land and Business Association.
The aim was to understand the amount of additional land needed, and provide a simple, clear vision for UK agricultural land use alongside a set of principles to guide decision-making.
CISL programme manager Andrew Montague-Fuller, who authored the report, said: "In this initial analysis, we identified a significant gap between additional land demand and potential supply, as well as a worrying lack of clarity about what agricultural land is expected to deliver.
"It is clear that more research is needed, and that business, government, farmers and landowners need to work together to ensure we can meet these growing demands, while also protecting the environment."
The report quantifies a number of 'supply-side' measures that could help to meet additional demand, including improving yields and reducing food waste, while highlighting the need to understand how much land can be used for multiple purposes.
But it warns that these initiatives may not be sufficient to close the gap, in which case difficult choices will need to be made.
Asda's sustainable business director Dr Chris Brown said: "Businesses need clarity to inform supply chain choices and guide investment decisions.
"We would highly recommend this report to industry colleagues, government departments and key farming organisations and strongly support the further development of its analysis and joint vision of how UK agricultural land needs to be optimised."
Volac's head of corporate communications Andy Richardson said: "I hope the vision proposed in this report is a catalyst for greater action and integrated thinking on land use. Lack of leadership in this area has the potential to compromise our future food and energy security."
English NFU chief land management adviser Dr Andrea Graham added: "While there are complex trade-offs and tough choices ahead on land use, this report shows that agricultural land will need to be multi-functional, delivering a range of goods and services."
For in-depth news and views on Scottish agriculture, see this Friday's issue of The Scottish Farmer or visit www.thescottishfarmer.co.uk
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