As the calls for cleaner energy grow, the ag industry is coming to a crossroads as millions of acres of valuable production land are lost to solar panels.
If the pace continues, another 18.4 million acres will be converted by 2040, and much of that conversation is happening on the nation’s most productive, versatile, and resilient farmland. Now if the conversion speeds up, by 2040, more than a million acres a year could be lost. Indiana farmer and agricultural consultant Kip Tom shares his thoughts.
“It really bothers me when I see a solar farm going up, and I know the need across the Atlantic or across the Pacific, for that food will no longer be produced on that farm anymore from those quality soils.”
The American Farmland Trust says it is urgent to find a more equitable and sustainable path forward.
Related:
Solar panels are replacing crops and livestock on some farms
Biden Administration drops tariffs on solar panels for two years
The pros and cons of solar panel poultry
