Not sure I buy these arguments. Plants are mining the ground for minerals it just takes tons of water, fertilizer, plant optimization, pesticides, transportation, harvesting etc.

The question is really can a solar panel + responsible chemical process provide a better product with lower energy and lower environmental impact. This needs to be measured in CO2 output per calorie, m^2/calorie, pesticide/poison introduction etc etc.

Its amazing how quickly you would dismiss this as it seems like an incredibly complex question.