Our Wild Isles are diverse and beautiful, and we are proud of our countryside and its wildlife. Scotland in particular boasts some of the wildest corners, and yet, we are losing wildlife at an alarming rate.
The current agricultural reform process taking place in Scotland is an opportunity to halt and reverse that decline, in fact the Scottish government has committed to protect (by 2030) and restore nature by 2045, but this will only happen if we significantly increase our ambition. Around three quarters of the land in Scotland is farmed, and if we get the changes right, the opportunities for wildlife to recover and thrive are huge. If we get them wrong, the results could be disastrous.
Flower-rich machair grasslands
More than 20% of Scottish agricultural land is grassland, including upland and lowland grassland, species rich hay meadows, flood plain meadows and machair grassland. The latter is one of the rarest habitats in the world. We still have these flower-rich machair grasslands, and the abundance of species they support, today thanks to 5,500 years of non-intensive farming without the use of pesticides.
Great Yellow Bumblebees (Bombus distinguendus), once found across the UK, are now restricted to this habitat in the Western Isles and Orkney where high densities of pollen and nectar rich plants including Red Clover, Knapweed and Kidney Vetch are left ungrazed late into the summer, when this bee most needs them. This habitat has been maintained by the sympathetic management of wildlife friendly farmers on High Nature Value Farms (HNV).
Though HNV farms and crofts cover around 44% of Scotland’s farmland, predominately the highlands and islands, most funding currently goes to farms outside of these areas in the form of large direct payments, instead of supporting the farming systems which are most beneficial to nature.
A fresh approach
To help farmers to address the nature and climate crisis, a fresh approach is needed – a new agricultural policy that supports farmers to move away from the use of agrochemicals including high levels of artificial fertiliser and to increase the number of regenerative and organic farms. Scotland aspires to be a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture, and the funding needs to drive that ambition.
The Lawton Review, Making Space for Nature, states that to reverse wildlife collapse requires “a larger network comprising more areas rich in wildlife, bigger sites, better managed sites, and more inter-connected sites”. David Attenborough on the recent Wild Isles grasslands episode said, “We can help them (wild bees) recover by restoring wild areas between our intensively managed fields”. This is very true, we need those ‘wild areas between’ but we also need more of the less intensively managed fields, free of pesticides with healthy hedgerows around them, ponds, ditches, flower-rich grassland and areas of native woodland.
B-Lines: a network for nature recovery
We have lost 97% of our species-rich grassland in the UK in the last 100 years and what remains now is often isolated and fragmented. Wild areas separated by miles of intensively managed fields are not sustainable. These flower-rich islands will become increasingly depleted of both diversity and abundance. Many invertebrates, including small solitary bees only travel a few hundred metres, so if they are lost from an isolated site after a spring flood or a summer fire, they will be unable to recolonise. We need more, bigger, better and more joined up. This is where B-Lines comes in.
B-Lines is a network for nature recovery. Working with local and national stakeholders, Buglife and partners have created a map of opportunity – a national network that, once complete, will enable species to move freely through the countryside and thrive.
The new agricultural policy and funding regime needs to support farmers to work together across landscapes to create connected habitats which support nature recovery at scale. B-Lines has mapped priority areas for flower-rich habitats, and we now need a policy that supports farmers in creating and managing wildlife-rich habitats as part of a profitable farm business.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this blog are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of all the organisations backing the Farm for Scotland’s Future campaign.
It is now four years since the Scottish Government enshrined in law a target to reach net zero emissions by 2045. Legally binding nature restoration targets are also expected to be set through a Natural Environment Bill next year.
All sectors of our economy know they have to respond to these ambitious nature and climate goals – and farming and land use is no different.
The puzzle facing farmers and crofters is how to shift to low-carbon approaches and help to reverse the worrying declines in wildlife and habitats, all while continuing to produce high-quality food.
The good news is that there are many great examples of farms and crofts already doing that – some of whom have featured as part of Scottish Environment LINK’s Farm for Scotland’s Future campaign.
And as ministers and civil servants wrestle with post-Brexit farming policy and prepare to introduce an Agriculture Bill to the Scottish Parliament later this year, many organisations connected to Scottish Environment LINK believe that organic farming can be part of the solution.
To be certified organic, farmers and growers must adhere to a strict set of standards that are set in UK and EU law.
This includes a ban on chemical pesticides or fertilisers and animal welfare rules such as limiting the size of flocks or herds and ensuring animals have access to the outdoors.
The use of nature-based methods to fight pests and diseases and protecting soil health so that it supports wildlife and absorbs more carbon, has always been central to organic farming.
And there is strong evidence to demonstrate that organic farming can help address the nature and climate challenge.
Research has shown that organic farming can reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 20%, increase on-farm biodiversity by 30%, and reduce soil erosion by 22%. Organic farms have also been shown to sequester and store significantly more carbon (44%).
The Scottish Government has recognised the environmental benefits that can be delivered through organic farming and is supporting farmers with conversion and maintenance payments via the Agri Environment Climate Scheme (AECS).
The 2023 window for AECS applications is open until June 7, and many farmers are thinking about whether they might take their land into conversion.
This year, the government has also removed the area cap, the upper threshold for the amount of land that can be converted, to encourage larger landowners to convert.
The Bute House Agreement between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Greens included a pledge to double the amount of land farmed organically, which at that point was about 1.8% of Scottish farmland, during this parliamentary term, up to 2026.
There was also a commitment to work with the organic sector in Scotland to develop a new Organic Food and Farming Action Plan.
A strong action plan, focused on market development and supply chain support, can ensure that the increase in production is met by an increase in demand – and the infrastructure to cope with it.
We already know that there is strong consumer demand for organic produce, but much of that is currently being met by imported food. That presents an opportunity for Scottish food producers.
The Soil Association publishes an Organic Market Report each year, and the 2023 edition showed that, despite all the challenges of a post-pandemic global economic slowdown, war in Ukraine and a cost-of-living crisis, the organic market still grew by 1.6% to a record high of £3.1billion.
That is the 12th straight year of growth for the market, and suggests a resilience that will lead to continued growth in future years.
This has also been widely recognised in Europe. The EU placed organics at the heart of its Green New Deal, with a target of reaching 25% of land farmed organically by 2030.
Austria has already surpassed that target, while the German Federal Government has set an even more ambitious target of reaching 30% organic land by the end of the decade.
Scotland may not be at that level yet, but there is a clear opportunity with a new farm support system coming into force from 2026 onwards, to bring organics from the margins to the mainstream.
By doing so, we can make real progress towards those targets of reducing emissions from agriculture and restoring nature on our farms and crofts.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this blog are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of all the organisations backing the Farm for Scotland’s Future campaign.
By Vicki Swales, Head of Land Use Policy, RSPB Scotland
The latest episode of David Attenborough’s epic TV series, Wild Isles, has highlighted the importance of managing farmland with nature in mind. In this blog, Vicki Swales explains the opportunity we have in Scotland to move towards more nature- and climate-friendly farming.
While Wild Isles has given starring roles to species familiar to us in Scotland, the reality is we are one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. Many species have been affected by the way we have managed our land over recent decades – habitat has been lost as hedgerows have been removed and wetlands drained, and food sources have been lost as pesticide use has increased. You can see the crisis facing our farmland wildlife in the graphics below. Species such as Curlew, Kestrel, Lapwing, and Oystercatcher are all in serious trouble.
Why farming matters
Agriculture is the largest use of land in Scotland, with around three-quarters of our land being farmed. Currently, less than 10% of public funding given to the industry pays for farming methods that support nature and tackle climate change. This must change. If we can transform how we farm, we can secure big wins for our wildlife, while continuing to produce healthy food and provide rural jobs.
A major report produced by the RSPB last year, ‘A world richer in nature’, identified four specific actions for Scotland:
Maintain the current level of public funding for farming but ensure most is spent on supporting land management and farming methods that are nature-friendly and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Increase the amount of funding spent on advice, knowledge transfer and training.
Increase the area of organic land from 2% to 10% by 2030.
Implement food system change through the Good Food Nation Act (2022) to support the transition toward more nature friendly forms of agriculture.
Later this year, there will be an opportunity to ensure farming policy is reformed and the more than half a billion pounds of farming subsidy handed out each year helps nature and our climate. The Scottish Parliament will debate an Agriculture Bill which will set the framework for future farming policy.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this blog are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of all the organisations backing the Farm for Scotland’s Future campaign.
On 13 March we ran a webinar on the Farm for Scotland’s Future campaign. Watch the video to find out more about why farming is crucial to restoring Scotland’s nature and tackling climate change, and why we need a new funding system to help all farmers and crofters make the transition to sustainable farming.
We hard from three fantastic speakers, starting with Ruth Taylor, agriculture and land use policy manager at WWF Scotland, who emphasised that the future of food production depends on healthy ecosystems and a stable climate. Ruth highlighted the need for the Scottish government’s agriculture bill, due this autumn, to transform the system.
Farmer Nikki Yoxall spoke powerfully about nature-friendly farming practices, showing us how ‘the Wee Mob’, her mobile herd of cattle, help create healthier soils and improved wildlife habitats. Regenerative grazing is one of many practices that a new system could support.
Crofter Helen O’Keefe gave us a fascinating window into the role crofting can play in maintaining both resilient local communities and a mosaic of biodiverse habitats for nature, making a strong case for better government support for crofters.
Today members of Scottish Environment LINK’s Farm for Scotland’s Future campaign presented Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, with a petition calling for a new farm funding system that works for nature, climate, and people.
The petition, signed by more than 2,600 people, calls on the Scottish government to use the forthcoming agriculture bill to ensure that at least three quarters of public spending on farming supports methods that restore nature and tackle climate change. It also calls on the government to support all farmers and crofters in the transition to sustainable farming.
Current methods make farming one of the top three sources of greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland and a major cause of wildlife loss.
More than half of those who signed the petition wrote personal messages to the Cabinet Secretary, explaining why the future of Scotland’s farming matters to them. The messages came from a spectrum of people including farmers and crofters, young people, and grandparents concerned about the legacy being left for future generations. Many describe the loss of nature they have witnessed in their own lifetimes.
The Farm for Scotland’s Future campaign was launched last June by a coalition of environment charities and farmers’ groups.
Click on the image below to read a selection of people’s messages about why they care about the future of Scotland’s farming.
On 9 December, 28 organisations wrote to Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, following the publication of the Climate Change Committee’s ‘Progress in reducing emissions in Scotland’ report.
To: Mairi Gougeon MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands
Dear Cabinet Secretary,
The Climate Change Committee reported this week that there has been ‘minimal progress’ in reducing climate emissions from agriculture in the past decade, and that detail on a low-carbon agricultural policy is ‘urgently needed’.
This was a major intervention that should make clear the need for the Scottish Government to act with renewed ambition. We believe the report provides further evidence that farming matters to everyone, and that public spending on farming must reflect this.
Farming is Scotland’s third largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, and emissions from farming have fallen at a significantly slower pace than from almost all other sectors. Farming is also a major cause of the loss of Scotland’s nature. Farming itself, and our food security, depend on a stable climate and thriving nature.
If Scotland is to meet its climate targets and reverse the rapid decline of species and habitats, the Scottish Government must act faster to develop detailed policy proposals and implement them at pace, using existing powers and those created by the forthcoming Agriculture Bill. Nothing less than meaningful and transformative change is required. The Scottish public’s support for such change is underlined by the thousands of people who have signed the Farm for Scotland’s Future petition calling for a Bill that makes farming work for nature, climate and people.
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to achieve that goal. It must not be wasted.
We urge you to ensure that Scotland’s new farm funding system helps ALL farmers and crofters to produce food while cutting climate emissions, protecting and restoring nature, promoting the highest standards of animal welfare, and revitalising our rural areas for everyone to enjoy.
Yours sincerely,
Lang Banks, Director, WWF Scotland
Alan Drever, Chair, Nature Foundation
Tali Eichner, Policy Manager, Community Supported Agriculture
Shivali Fifield, CEO, Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland
As we head from one crisis to another, we appear to have forgotten about the biggest threats facing us. The climate and biodiversity crises haven’t gone away, they are only getting worse.
The reprieve in lockdowns when polluting industries came to a halt and the planet was able to breathe was short-lived as we gradually revert to our old ways.
The latest report by Scottish Environment LINK member, WWF, shows that since the 1970s there has been an almost 70 per cent (69 per cent) decrease in wildlife worldwide. The main drivers for this staggering decline are habitat loss, species overexploitation, invasive species, pollution, climate change and diseases. This isn’t just bad news for nature, it’s also bad news for us.
A much-depleted natural world has a knock-on effect on all aspects of our life including health, economics, and food security. Choosing not to mitigate climate change and reverse biodiversity loss – while we still can – is short-sighted and a sure-fire way of stoking major problems not only for the immediate future but for future generations whose lives depend on our actions.
In Scotland alone, one in nine species is at risk of extinction. Farming and land management are among the most harmful contributors to biodiversity loss and environmental degradation and among the top three sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
The Scottish government is currently consulting on its proposals for a new Agriculture Bill that will determine how farming is funded for years to come. This provides us with an opportunity to rethink the decades-old farm funding system and replace it with one that works for nature, climate, and people.
Annually, the Scottish government spends more than half a billion pounds of taxpayers’ money on farm funding, but the money isn’t designed to support farmers and crofters to produce food in a way that helps to preserve nature or tackle climate change.
The current system is also deeply unfair. Most public spending on farming is used to pay farmers based on the amount of land they own, with no conditions attached as to how they farm that land. Some farmers benefit massively from government funding under this system, while other, often smaller and environmentally friendly farmers lose out.
As well as producing food, farmers and crofters manage three quarters of Scotland’s land. By changing how it funds farming, the Scottish government can create a fairer system that helps all farmers and crofters work in harmony with nature and our needs. By playing a part in restoring nature, tackling climate change, and revitalising Scotland’s rural areas farming can work for the benefit of everyone, while providing quality affordable food long into the future. A growing number of farmers and crofters are already working with nature and climate in mind by keeping their soils healthy, planting trees, and making space for wildlife but these farmers and crofters need more support. And supporting more of them to do so, will help.
Put simply, we have a choice and cannot afford to go on working against nature, driving it to breaking point and still expect it to provide us with health and food.
This is why, under the campaign ‘Farm for Scotland’s Future,’ Scottish Environment LINK, together with farmers and leading environmental charities, is calling on the Scottish government to take heed of the climate and nature crises and replace the outdated farm funding system. By 2030, it must stop using the farming budget to reward land ownership and instead ensure public funding for farmers works for the benefit of everyone.
We need to fund farmers to help create and maintain hedgerows and wildflower meadows, reduce chemical pesticide and fertiliser use, manage rivers, streams and land to mitigate flooding, create or restore specific habitats such as wetlands, heaths, species-rich grasslands, peatlands, floodplains and coastal saltmarshes and help people access the countryside for recreation, for example by creating and maintaining paths.
Farming is not the problem, done right it’s part of the solution. Our very ability to produce food in the future depends on our ability to maintain a healthy planet by changing practices that are pushing it to a perilous state. Funding and support to transition to sustainable farming is essential in helping to rebuild a thriving planet that can provide jobs, security and nutritious affordable food for everyone – for generations to come.
The new report ‘A world richer in nature: Where nature and people can thrive’ sets out RSPB’s vision for a nature positive world by 2030. In this blog Andrew Stark, Land Use Policy Officer in the RSPB Scotland team, outlines what this means for farming and our food system.
‘A world richer in nature: Where nature and people can thrive’ adds to the ever-growing body of evidence about why addressing the nature crisis is so vital. The 2019 State of Nature report shows that 1 in 9 Scottish species are at risk of extinction while Scotland currently ranks 28th from the bottom in the Biodiversity Intactness Index, which is essentially a league table of how well nature is doing globally. Outside of the UK, a recent Birdlife report ‘State of the World’s Birds’ shows that in Europe, there has been a 57% decline in common farmland birds since 1980. In Scotland, curlew populations declined by 60% between 1995-2020 – a once widespread farmland bird.
Unfortunately, agriculture as the largest use of land in Scotland (around three quarters) has had and continues to have a role in these shocking statistics. Over the decades, agriculture policy has focussed primarily on food production with nature and the climate side-lined. Unfortunately, this has led to many negative environmental impacts of agriculture, such as the loss of habitats, pollution or insect and bird declines.
Lapwings also suffered a 60% decline in numbers in Scotland between 1995 and 2020. Credit Ian Francis
But with so much agricultural land, there’s enormous potential to redress this and create a more harmonious relationship with nature and our climate and achieve our vision that “by 2030, our farms teem with wildlife, produce high quality food that meets our needs as part of a fair global food system, and support the recovery of nature and the transition to a net zero economy”.
So how do we get there? The report identifies four specific actions for Scotland:
Maintain the current level of public funding for farming but ensure that the majority of the budget is spent on supporting land management and farming methods that are nature friendly and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This fund should include specific, targeted payments for restoring declining farmland wildlife.
Increase the amount of funding spent on advice, knowledge transfer and training.
Increase the area of organic land from 2% to 10% by 2030.
Implement food system change through the Good Food Nation Act (2022), for example through crosscutting and ambitious food plans or through the new Scottish Food Commission, to support the transition toward more nature friendly forms of agricultural and dietary choices.
These four actions, if achieved, would play a substantive role in achieving our vision. There are lots of positive things farmers and crofters are doing right across Scotland, right now, and we want to see these mainstreamed so they become common. Currently, the Scottish Government is consulting on proposals for an Agriculture Bill which is expected in 2023. Using this once in a generation opportunity to reform policy, and the near £600m in agricultural subsidies, is vital to achieve a world richer in nature. We want farmers and crofters to be supported with their vital role in addressing the nature and climate crisis, whilst producing high-quality food. That is why we have come together with other organisations to support the Farm For Scotland’s Future campaign. Find out more here: https://farmforscotlandsfuture.scot
As our report states, all Governments across the UK need to urgently act to achieve the change that is needed to fix our food system. This is vitally important to achieving the Scottish Government’s Good Food Nation vision as well as their vision to be a “global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture”.
Sustainable farming/crofting practices in the Outer Hebrides are essential to help nature. Credit: Edward Makin (rspb-images.com)
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this blog are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of all the organisations backing the Farm for Scotland’s Future campaign.
By Joanne Riggall, Grasslands Advocacy Officer, Plantlife
The Scottish Government has recognised that the interlinked crises of climate change and biodiversity loss need urgent action and that more sustainable farming is part of the solution. Permanent grasslands are an iconic part of Scotland’s farmed landscape and the proposed Agriculture Bill offers a crucial opportunity to maximise their potential benefits for nature, climate and people.
The evidence is clear: Scotland’s treasured wildlife and wild plants are in decline; 265 plant species and 153 fungi and lichen species are classified as being at risk of extinction in Scotland. The intensification of agriculture is a key driver of biodiversity loss, and the agriculture sector is the second largest contributor to Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions. Grasslands are important carbon stores and cover almost 30% of Scotland’s land area (2 million hectares), but less than 1% of this is high biodiversity value semi-natural grasslands.
The Scottish Government’s Vision Statement for Agriculture sets an applaudable level of ambition to reverse this trend; for Scotland to become ‘a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture’, supported by a ‘framework that delivers high quality food production, climate mitigation and adaptation, and nature restoration’.
Healthy, semi-natural grasslands are thriving ecosystems, where thousands of different wild plants over millennia have co-evolved alongside farmers managing the land as hay meadows and grazing pasture. Alongside peatland and trees, permanent semi-natural grasslands are important carbon stores; grasslands with greater plant diversity can sequester and store significantly more carbon than agriculturally improved grassland or arable land, with some storing more soil organic carbon than in woodland soils.
However, a lot of Scotland’s grassland is agriculturally ‘improved’ and is under intensive agricultural management regimes, which can mean regular ploughing, an overreliance on pesticide and fertiliser inputs, reduced soil health, and the degradation of habitats. This decreases plant diversity, impacts on other wildlife, and hampers the potential for permanent pasture to store carbon. Intensive agriculture can be costly and unsustainable for farmers too. Intensive farming methods degrade soil and put long-term food production and security at risk, while artificial fertilisers and inputs are becoming increasingly expensive.
This doesn’t have to be the status quo. Farmers and crofters can manage their land in a way that is good for business, nature, and climate – and many do already. Changing farming practices, such as using rotational grazing, reducing ploughing or curbing fertilizer use, can improve soil health and yields, increase biodiversity, and store more carbon, while releasing fewer greenhouse gases (GHG) in the process.
In tandem with sustainable food production, semi-natural grasslands provide further ‘public goods’ – ecosystem services such as pollination services, flood mitigation, locking up pollutants, and enhancing our health and wellbeing.
Scotland’s proposed Agriculture Bill and agri-environment scheme must invest in grassland management and restoration for rural livelihoods, nature recovery and climate resilience by appropriately supporting farmers and crofters. This means:
Appropriate financial and advisory support for semi-natural grassland management techniques that recognises their value as economically productive land and a nature-based solution
Support for landscape scale restoration that connects habitats, allowing plants and wildlife to move between them and adapt to a changing climate
A clear, robust and integrated regulatory baseline, enabling whole farm management plan which supports farmers and crofters to use nutrients efficiently and reduce air and water pollution
Support for tree-planting and woodland creation guided by the ‘right tree, right place, right management’ principle, to avoid unintended negative environmental impacts on semi-natural grassland
Bespoke, on-going advisory support for farmers to restore and maintain their semi-natural pasture over the long-term, in order to maximise good environmental outcomes and support rural livelihoods.
Over 70% of Scotland’s land is now managed by farmers and crofters. We need the full strength of their support, backed by the Scottish Government, to ensure that Scotland’s nature and agricultural livelihoods can thrive together, in harmony. Grasslands offer a win-win solution to achieve this, which we cannot afford to miss.
Want to take action? Sign the petition run by Farm for Scotland’s Future asking the Scottish Government to help make farming work for nature, people, and climate.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this blog are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of all the organisations backing the Farm for Scotland’s Future campaign.
Stafford, R., Chamberlain, B., Clavey, L., Gillingham, P.K., McKain, S., Morecroft, M.D., Morrison-Bell, C. and Watts, O. (Eds.) (2021). Nature-based Solutions for Climate Change in the UK: A Report by the British Ecological Society. London, UK
Farming is vital to Scotland’s future. We rely on farmers to produce food, but the significance of farming extends far beyond what’s on our plates. Between them, farmers and crofters manage three quarters of Scotland’s entire land area. The way that land is used has huge implications for Scotland’s people, our wildlife, and the global climate.
Today’s dominant farming methods make agriculture one of Scotland’s top three sources of climate emissions, and a major cause of wildlife loss. But it doesn’t have to be this way. If we can transform the way public money is used to fund farming in Scotland, we can help all of Scotland’s farmers and crofters produce food in ways that help to restore nature, tackle climate change, and revitalise our rural areas. Our chance to do that is now.
The Scottish government is formulating a new system of farm funding, due to be in place by 2026. Right now, it is consulting on proposals for an agriculture bill that will form the basis of that system for years to come.
Members of Scottish Environment LINK, a coalition of Scotland’s leading environmental charities, have joined forces with farmers’ groups to launch the Farm for Scotland’s Future campaign, calling on the Scottish government to replace the decades-old farm funding system with one that works for nature, climate and people. We want at least three quarters of public spending on farming to support methods that benefit our natural environment. And we want the government to invest in supporting all farmers and crofters in the transition to sustainable farming.
How we fund farming matters because it has enormous potential to influence the way our land is farmed. The Scottish government spends more than half a billion pounds on farming every year, but very little of that money is used to support farming practices that help wildlife or tackle climate change. In fact, most of it is given to farmers based on the amount of land they own, not what they do with it. This means that the biggest landowners receive the most funding, while small farms and crofts lose out.
Instead, public spending on farming should be used to help farmers and crofters manage their land in ways that benefit everyone. A growing number are already adopting climate and nature-friendly methods, often without any government support. Our money should be used to support these farmers, as well as those making the transition to practices that work for the welfare of our planet and its inhabitants.
We need to help more farmers and crofters reduce the use of chemicals and pesticides, restore wildlife habitats, create woodlands, hedgerows, and wildflower meadows – and much more. By combating climate change and allowing nature to thrive, we can support the ecosystems on which food production depends.
Changing the way farming and crofting businesses work cannot happen overnight, and the Scottish government must make funding available to help them adapt. Advice and training on sustainable farming methods will also be essential.
If Scotland can create a farm funding system that works for all farmers and crofters, for people and for the planet, we will have made a major investment in our future.
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