The Department of Agriculture has frozen land reclassification, highlighting risks of converting farmland to solar sites, as seen in Solar Philippines' stalled projects.
In February 2026, the Philippines' Department of Agriculture (DA) announced a freeze on land reclassification, seen as a vital step to safeguard food security against renewable energy projects. A Rappler column highlights global experiences from Japan, Europe, and the United States, where converting productive farmland to solar farms leads to higher food prices, import dependence, and economic volatility.
As a case study, it points to Solar Philippines, founded by businessman and Batangas Representative Leandro Leviste. The company assembled roughly 10,000 hectares of land in Luzon for solar parks and secured service contracts for nearly 12,000 megawatts from the Department of Energy (DOE). However, only 174 megawatts, or 2%, entered commercial operation. Regulators have moved to terminate contracts covering more than 11,400 megawatts and impose penalties potentially reaching ₱24 billion.
The opportunity cost is immense: if the 10,000 hectares were used for irrigated rice at a yield of eight tons per hectare annually, it could produce 80,000 tons of rice, worth over ₱2 billion per year, potentially exceeding ₱50 billion over a project's lifespan. Utility-scale solar requires 1,000 hectares per gigawatt, limiting land for agriculture, which is more labor-intensive and offers multiplier effects to the rural economy.
In Europe, such as Germany and Italy, productive farmland is now avoided for solar, prioritizing rooftops and brownfields. In the US, over 420,000 acres of rural land are used for renewables. Land conversion is not just a planning issue but a macroeconomic decision affecting inflation and foreign exchange. The DA's moratorium affirms farmland as strategic national infrastructure, not disposable real estate.
