England’s farmland is vanishing at an alarming rate, with more than 1,700 farms near towns and cities disappearing since 2010, a new CPRE report has revealed.
The countryside charity warns that productive land on urban edges – vital for food production and local ecosystems – is being lost at a rapid pace.
In total, 56,000 hectares have been removed from farming, an area equivalent to the size of Leeds.
These farms are crucial not just for food security but also for their economic and environmental contributions.
They produce a disproportionately high share of key crops, including 20% of the UK’s wheat and barley, 14% of its potatoes and 13% of its milk.
Together, they add £3.3 billion annually to the UK economy.
“Farms around our towns and cities produce vital quantities of food but are disappearing at an alarming rate. Every hectare of farmland lost is more than just a statistical decline, it’s an erosion of our countryside and our fundamental national resilience.”
Graeme Willis, CPRE
CPRE’s report highlights the growing pressure from development, which has already claimed 14,000 hectares of England’s most productive farmland. Climate change poses an additional threat, with 60% of remaining high-quality agricultural land at risk of flooding.
Meanwhile, outdated classification systems are still using data from the 1940s to assess land quality.
Farmers now face even more uncertainty following the government’s recent decision to pause the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), a key post-Brexit payment scheme designed to support environmental stewardship.
Without it, many farmers are left without vital financial backing.
CPRE is urging stronger planning protections for agricultural land and better support for farmers to balance food production with environmental management. Without swift action, the countryside around England’s towns and cities could face irreversible change.
