The expansion of solar energy farms in India could potentially threaten food security by diverting agricultural land towards electricity generation. Reuven Azar, the Israeli Ambassador to India, has proposed a solution to this conflict - agrivoltaics, a system that allows farmers to grow crops and generate solar electricity on the same land. Azar spoke about this innovative solution at the Kisan Tak Bharat Agriculture Conference in New Delhi on November 9, 2026. The conference is a two-day event organized by the India Today Group.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address the conference on November 12 at 8 pm. Agrivoltaics, which allows more than 50 crops to be cultivated alongside solar panels, could help India pursue energy security without compromising agricultural production. The technology addresses the issue of land scarcity and the competing demands of agriculture and solar energy generation, particularly in countries like Israel with arid climates and limited fertile land.
India has already initiated steps towards adopting agrivoltaics, with 36 operational projects generating 37.54 MW of electricity as of August 2025. The government has also established a Centre of Excellence for Agrivoltaics and is currently conducting pilot projects. However, the concern over agricultural land being diverted for energy generation arises from the growing competition between such non-conventional energy projects and farmland. This diversion could worsen existing issues caused by demand for housing and infrastructure projects.
Spain has already experienced conflicts between solar energy expansion and agricultural production. In 2025, farmers in Andalusia protested against solar projects affecting thousands of olive trees. Azar warned that expanding solar farms could push up land prices and encourage farmers to lease their fields for electricity generation instead of cultivating crops, potentially posing a threat to food security in the coming decade.