Establish supported nationwide information and advice for land managers on biodiversity management including best practice and innovation through the complementary tier of the new agricultural payment framework.
Objective 5: Invest in nature
Priority Action 27. Provide direction on, and investment in, green skills and local economic opportunities supporting nature-based education, nature restoration skills and volunteering.
Advice and information for land managers on biodiversity management is being developed through the complementary tier of Scotland’s new agricultural payment framework, alongside NatureScot guidance and wider advisory services.
The complementary tier is intended to support environmental land management and biodiversity actions as part of agricultural reform, including encouraging uptake of nature-friendly farming practices and supporting delivery of public goods.
LINK does not assess the complementary tier as a fully developed delivery system, but its wider agricultural policy positions indicate that reform must ensure funding is backed by clear, accessible support and strong implementation capacity. Without effective advisory and delivery systems, environmental payment mechanisms risk low uptake, uneven delivery, and limited ecological impact.
LINK therefore supports the principle of integrating environmental outcomes into agricultural support, but stresses that success depends on whether the system is accompanied by adequate advice, resourcing, and delivery infrastructure to ensure land managers can practically implement biodiversity measures. At present, advisory provision linked to the complementary tier remains developing and distributed across multiple organisations rather than a single integrated service, meaning implementation capacity is still emerging.
The complementary tier can support biodiversity outcomes by encouraging uptake of nature-friendly farming practices, habitat management, and landscape-scale restoration actions.
However, evidence from LINK indicates that environmental payment systems only deliver strong ecological outcomes when supported by clear guidance, advisory capacity, and implementation support.
As a result, ecological benefits depend on how effectively the complementary tier is implemented in practice, and whether land managers receive sufficient support to participate.
Scottish Government – Draft Environment Strategy (skills, land management transition)
Scottish Environment LINK – Nature finance and system delivery position
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