British farmland may have to be cut in order for Labour to meet its net zero target.

A benchmark set out in a consultation by Environment Secretary Steve Reed suggests that roughly 9% of farming land would need to be turned into forest and wild habitats by 2050 in order to meet the target.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) added that almost 20% of the country's agricultural land must change in order to improve the ecosystem.

However, it added that food production could remain at current levels if the remaining land is made more efficient. The department added that a working land-use framework would make it less likely to see "high-quality farmland" lost to housebuilding or energy projects.

Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch slammed Labour for "adding even more burdens on farmers". She said: "[I'm] worried that we are adding even more burdens on farmers.

"[We're] killing farmers in our country [through] the family farm tax, the family business tax, the rise in national insurance. To add even more burdens saying that we are going to spend more time on net zero shows they are not serious."

National Farmers Union President Tom Bradshaw welcomed the consultation, which was launched on Friday, and said: "Food security is national security, we must have a land use plan in place, underpinned by sound science and evidence." He urged the Government to keep "British food at its heart".

Currently, about 70% of English land is used for farming, and 1.6 million hectares of it will need to be repurposed to meet the 2050 climate target, according to Government analysis.

Of this total land, 1% would be changed by planting herbs and other plants, 4% would be changed by planting more trees, 5% would be changed for environmental benefits, and 9% would be turned from food production to woodland and natural habitats.

Defra revealed that the UK's food self-sufficiency has declined, and if food production slows, this may lead to an increase in imports - making the country vulnerable to global prices and supply chains.

Mr Reed said the Government would "not dictate" what owners can do with their land, but rather the new framework "provides information to make it less likely that land will be used for solar farms when it's good for food production".

He added: "There is enough land to build the infrastructure that we need and grow the food that we need and restore nature if we do it in a rational way, based on data."