Across Europe, solar panels are rising among wheat fields.
The race for renewable energy has sparked a key question: can food and energy production share the same land, or are they destined to compete?
The Land Dilemma
Arable land is limited — and shrinking.
In Italy, only 7% of land is suitable for cultivation, while urbanization and erosion continue to reduce fertile soils.
Cereal crops, covering more than 2.2 million hectares, are therefore a strategic resource for both food security and environmental balance.
Large solar farms have drawn criticism for taking away farmland. The challenge is not to replace agriculture but to combine it with clean energy.
What Is Agri-Photovoltaics
Agri-photovoltaics (or agrivoltaics) integrates solar energy and farming on the same land through elevated or adjustable panels that allow crops to grow beneath.
This dual-use system:
- produces renewable energy;
- maintains agricultural productivity.
Partial shading reduces soil temperature, conserves water, and protects plants from heat stress.
Research by CREA and Politecnico di Milano (2024) shows that in experimental durum wheat systems in Southern Italy, yields decreased by only 4–6%, while energy output exceeded 1,200 MWh/ha per year — a clear win for both climate and income.
Agronomic and Climate Benefits
Partial shading from panels:
- lowers soil temperature by up to 2°C;
- reduces irrigation needs by 20–30%;
- stabilizes yields during drought years.
At the same time, agri-photovoltaics cuts CO₂ emissions and fossil fuel dependence, helping align farming with NetZero 2050 goals.
Policy and Regulation
Not all solar installations on farmland are sustainable.
The Italian Ministry for the Environment (MASE) differentiates between:
- Ground-mounted plants, which reduce cultivable land;
- Integrated agri-PV systems, which preserve agricultural activity.
According to the June 22, 2022 Decree and the National Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC 2030), at least 70% of affected land must remain farmed.
The Agrisolare Plan offers incentives for mobile and elevated systems that maintain this balance.
Coexistence or Competition?
It depends on design and intent.
When agrivoltaic systems are agronomically planned, they can balance food and energy production.
But speculative large-scale installations risk undermining farmland integrity.
The future lies in integrated sustainability — harvesting sunlight and grain together.
Scientific and Institutional References
- CREA & Politecnico di Milano (2024). Agri-Photovoltaic Systems in Durum Wheat Fields.
- MASE (2023). Guidelines for Sustainable Agri-PV Plants.
- European Commission (2024). Renewable Energy and Agricultural Land Use.
- ISPRA (2024). Soil Consumption and Bioenergy Sustainability.
- FAO (2024). Agrovoltaics for Sustainable Land Management.