Agricultural continuity as a non-compensatory test for food-system value in agrivoltaics

Agrivoltaics is often justified by the joint production of food or forage and electricity. Yet co-location does not show that farming can remain viable for the life of a solar asset. Existing standards and policy guidance already refer to primary agricultural use or continuity. Their thresholds are important, but they do not by themselves provide a cross-context test of whether a functioning farm system is preserved. This Perspective develops agricultural continuity as a non-compensatory decision rule for food-system claims. The test has four conditions: usable agricultural space, a commercially credible production plan, effective decision rights for the agricultural operator, and safe, adaptable operations. All four conditions must be satisfied. Strong electricity output, average yield, or an environmental co-benefit cannot compensate for failure of one condition. The framework links infrastructure design and governance to food availability, access, stability, sustainability, and agency. It can be applied at site selection, design review, contracting, commissioning, and periodic operation reviews. Environmental life cycle assessment, energy performance, and farm economics remain essential parallel assessments; they should not be folded into the continuity threshold. The framework is conceptual and requires validation across farm types, climates, ownership models, and regulatory settings. Its value lies in making agricultural claims testable and in identifying correctable failure points before long-lived infrastructure locks them in.