The 72-year-old called on the industry to show “a willingness to do things differently”. He cited terms such as biodiversity and agroforestry, often used by scientists and NGOs, suggesting they failed to communicate practical messages, day Telegraph revealed.
The Prince of Wales accepted a lifetime achievement award from magazine Farmers Weekly on Sunday.
He wrote in the magazine: “In this new world, the relationship between farmers and carbon, water and biodiversity, will be of fundamental importance, with bigger challenges and new opportunities.
“So it is often unhelpful, perhaps, that much of the language being used to describe the situation and the potential remedies is so obscure, sometimes appearing as if it has been chosen to hide the real message and alienate those who most need to hear it.”
The award acknowledges Charles’ contributions to British farming.
He has been an environmental campaigner for many years and earlier this month said it was “sheer madness” to continue on a path of destroying the planet.
He told a virtual event hosted by the Royal Society humans had already reached the point where there is not enough nature to meet our demands – and that while nature could recover if given the chance, the window to do so “is closing fast”.
The future king said: “We all of us have a fiduciary duty to life on Earth, for we hold this planet in trust, having a duty of care that is absolute.
“Yet we know that, day by day, strand by strand, we are rapidly destroying the fabric of the natural world for ourselves and children and grandchildren, and testing this precious planet to destruction.”
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Prince William, 38, spoke to environmental activists from around the globe earlier this week ahead of the awarding of his Earthshot Prize.
Announcing the prize in 2019, he echoed his father’s campaigning: “Either we continue as we are and irreparably damage our planet or we remember our unique power as human beings.”
Seven young people have been named 2020 Young Champions of the Earth by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and William told them they could “easily be in the mix” for his Earthshot Prize.
Nzambi Matee, from Kenya, who manufactures sustainable building materials, told the duke during the video chat of how hard it is to change the attitudes of older people, though her grandmother had adopted sustainability.
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She said: “If we can convince my grandmother not to use plastic bags, we can do anything.”
The duke agreed, saying the next generation did not have to start ambitious projects like the seven recognised by the UN to “do their bit”.
He added: “If every young person educates their family on the environmental impact they are having, that in turn is making a difference, and changing the tide, and creating that momentum.”
