Rural campaigners have urged the government to 'reinvest' in county farms to attract new farmers and tackle the climate emergency.
There are growing fears over the continuing sell-offs of the UK's county farms, the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has warned.
New analysis by the rural charity has shown that the rate of loss of county farms has increased fivefold since 2016.
If nothing is done to reverse this decline, they will be 'completely sold off in little over 30 years'.
The government has committed for continued funding to allow councils to invest in their county farms and attract new farmers into the profession.
The CPRE said it was 'clear' that government intervention and investment was 'sorely needed'.
It said county farms have a big role to play in helping young farmers develop innovative farming techniques that help tackle the climate and nature emergencies.
The ‘revival’ of these publicly owned farms has been under the spotlight during the second reading of the Agriculture Bill in the House of Lords this week.
The Bill acknowledges the role that publicly owned land, including county farms, can play in securing the UK's food supply, supporting young farmers and helping tackle climate change.
Graeme Willis, agriculture lead at CPRE, said the continuing sale of county farms was like 'shooting ourselves in the foot'.
"As farms continue to be sold off, we need to know much will be available and when funding will start, how many new entrants it will support and how it will drive innovative, environmentally sustainable farming that delivers for people and nature."
Despite this, he said it was 'heartening' to see 'clear support' for county farms during the recent debate in the House of Lords.
"We welcome the government’s commitment to invest in local councils for the future of their farms and we look forward to working together to help shape the new programme of investment in the months ahead," Mr Willis said.
