We only have one Earth and protecting it for future generations should not be political but a moral duty. Farmers are central to environmental stewardship, managing vast areas of land that support biodiversity and food production.
However, Labour’s focus on achieving net zero carbon emissions at any cost risks undermining the vital role farmers play, endangering the rural economy and our natural environment.
Labour must rethink its policies and adopt a balanced, science-based approach that prioritises the environment without sacrificing the rural economy or natural landscapes.
The principle of stewardship — caring for the Earth for future generations — has long been championed by Conservatives. Farmers embody this principle, preserving hedgerows, wetlands, and habitats while producing food.
Labour’s current policies, which heavily prioritise industrial-scale renewable energy projects such as solar farms and wind turbines, risk side-lining farmers’ contributions to maintaining the countryside. Renewable technologies are indeed vital but must not come at the expense of the very landscapes and ecosystems they aim to protect.
Starmer risks destroying his environmental goals in his war on farmers, writes Sally-Ann Hart
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Sustainability is about more than hitting arbitrary carbon targets. Over-prioritising carbon reduction risks damaging ecosystems, reducing biodiversity, and degrading soil health.
Careful consideration of land use is needed to balance renewable energy production with agricultural needs and community interests – balancing the needs of people, nature and the economy. Labour’s push for renewable projects on farmland has already led to significant land being used for solar panels and wind farms.
Whilst renewable energy is key in protecting our environment and for future job opportunities, we cannot sacrifice productive farmland or the nation’s ability to feed itself. With global food markets increasingly unstable, reducing domestic food production risks greater dependence on imports and vulnerability to supply chain disruptions.
Labour’s proposed changes to inheritance tax on family farms further threaten the long-term sustainability of UK agriculture. These changes could fragment farmland or lead to collectivisation, a failed system that has historically harmed both the environment and food productivity.
Family farmers, who intimately know and care for their land, are far better stewards than bureaucratic systems. Labour’s tax policies will destroy family farms and at the very least, drive farmers away, weakening food security and undermining the very environmental goals the party seeks to achieve.
A better way forward would involve supporting small-scale, decentralised renewable energy solutions, such as rooftop solar panels and micro wind turbines, which protect arable land while still contributing to clean energy goals. At the same time, restoring nature must be central to environmental strategy.
Farmers are natural allies in efforts to sequester carbon, improve soil health, and boost biodiversity. Initiatives such as tree planting and wetland restoration are often more effective, sustainable, and cost-efficient than large-scale industrial projects. Empowering farmers to lead on sustainable land management through incentives for regenerative practices could transform agriculture into a major force for environmental restoration.
Labour must also prioritise investment in scientific research to develop innovative solutions that address carbon emissions without harming rural communities. Technologies like soil carbon storage and precision farming can cut emissions while increasing productivity. These advancements demonstrate that solutions to climate change lie not in rigid, one-size-fits-all policies but in the creativity and expertise of farmers, scientists, and local communities.
Looking after our Earth means investing in the people and practices that have sustained it for generations. Labour’s current approach risks alienating farmers, undermining food security, and harming the environment. It is time for Labour to rethink its approach —one that places science, farmers and rural communities, and nature-based solutions at the heart of its environmental agenda.