Report commissioned by CPRE shows UK farmland at risk under system using 1940s data

Report commissioned by CPRE shows UK farmland at risk under system using 1940s data

Posted on Feb 25, 2025 by jsw  | Tags: Farming

A new report commissioned by CPRE shows that data from the 1940s is being used to classify and protect England’s most valuable and productive farmland, potentially undermining the UK’s ability to grow its own food.

The ALC system determines the potential productivity of farmland using data including rainfall measured between 1941 and 1970 and temperatures measured between 1961 and 1980.

The new report demonstrates that continuing to rely on the current ALC system is leading to a substantial overestimation of the productivity of land, with much less of it likely to be considered Best and Most Versatile (BMV) land for food production.

These findings follow the loss of 14,000 hectares of prime agricultural land to development since 2010.

To read more and to download the report, go to https://www.cpre.org.uk/news/uk-farmland-at-risk-under-system-using-1940s-data-new-report-reveals/