The Scottish government is consulting on its proposals for a new Agriculture Bill. This bill will determine how farming is funded in Scotland for many years to come, and will have a huge influence on the way our land is used and our food is produced.
It’s important that as many people as possible make their voices heard on this issue, so that the Scottish government receives a strong message that we need to make farming work for nature, climate and people.
If you have two minutes
Sign our petition calling on the Scottish government to introduce an agriculture bill that:
Ensures at least three quarters of public spending on farming supports methods that restore nature and tackle climate change.
Supports all farmers and crofters in the transition to sustainable farming.
You can add a personal message explaining why you care about the future of Scotland’s farming.
If you have a bit more time
Respond directly to the Scottish government’s consultation on its proposals for a new agriculture bill. The way our food is produced and our land is used affects us all. You don’t have to be a farmer or a crofter to respond. And you don’t have to answer every question.
Farming has to play its part in tackling the climate and nature emergencies
The current funding system is unfair
Most of the money we spend needs to support nature and climate friendly farming
The bill should establish a new nature restoration scheme
Our friends at Nourish Scotland have also put together an A-Z of the Agriculture Bill consultation, aimed at helping people identify which consultation questions to answer in order to express views on various subjects – from abattoirs to zero emissions.
The consultation closes on 21 November, so please submit your response before that date. Let’s make sure our views are heard.
When was the last time you encountered a hedgehog? Or spotted a murmuration of starlings in a pink sky? The natural world as we once knew it is under threat like never before as the latest global science shows.
Today, the publication of WWF’s flagship Living Planet Report reveals that life is being squeezed out of our planet at an alarming rate. This biannual health check on the state of our natural world shows that population sizes of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish all over the world are declining – averaging a 69% reduction over the past half century. A major driver of this is how we grow our food globally and at home. A switch to sustainable agriculture and food production is urgently needed to cut emissions and secure food for everyone.
Scotland itself is no exception to this decline in nature, with 2019 research showing 1 in 9 species at risk of extinction. We still have time to turn things around, but the clock is getting closer to midnight, and we need rapid, bold action from political and business leaders.
In stark contrast, recent weeks have seen worrying moves by the UK Government, threatening to break promises to protect nature and support green farming. That’s why it’s more important than ever that the Scottish Government takes action to make Scotland a world leader by introducing key policies that work for climate, nature, and people. We know the public support policies that deliver a healthier environment, more nature, and lower emissions.
As mentioned, one area that needs urgent attention is the way we now produce our food, which has a profound impact on nature and the climate, from farm to fork to landfill. Almost a fifth of Scotland’s emissions come from farming, and agriculture is Scotland’s biggest emitter of methane and nitrous oxide – largely from livestock, how soils are managed and the chemicals that are used. While some farmers have made changes to their practices, action to reduce these emissions is still nowhere near where it needs to be.
We want to see farmers, crofters, and land managers supported to do things differently and to scale up action that’s helping to reduce emissions and protect nature. That’s why we’re asking people to support our Farm for Scotland’s Future campaign aimed at improving the way farming is funded. The Scottish Government spends over £600 million a year supporting farmers and crofters, but this comes with few strings attached, often benefits the most profitable and intensely farmed areas, and can cause damage to nature and the environment. To stay on track to reach net zero, we need to transform rural policy, and farming subsidies will play a key role in shaping what that looks like.
Scotland has a major opportunity to change the way we support farmers and crofters so that they can continue to produce food, while restoring nature and fighting climate change.
The consequences of failure to act will leave an unbearable burden on future generations who will, quite rightly, not forgive or forget.
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.
Scottish agriculture is in a pivotal moment, with a once in a generation opportunity to make farming work better for our environment and people in Scotland. RSPB and other farming, crofting and land-owning stakeholders, need the help of people across Scotland to positively change agriculture payments so that they work better for nature, climate and people.
Each year the Scottish Government gives nearly £600 million pounds’ worth of subsidies to farmers, crofters and land managers through a system that has its origins in the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy. Now that we’ve left the EU, each of the four UK countries have been developing their proposals about what replaces these farm payments.
The different UK countries are in different stages, and Scotland is aiming to have a new system in place by 2026. But for that system to be in place, it needs a Bill to give itself the legal powers to implement new policy. Answers received to a current consultation will help inform the content of that Bill and help guide the Scottish Government about which direction Scottish agriculture – and the payments it receives – should take.
The Scottish Government has laudable ambitions to be a “global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture”, but Scotland’s nature is depleted. The Biodiversity Intactness Index, a global analysis on how much human activity has impacted nature, ranks us a poor 28th from the bottom (out of 240 countries). Whilst progress is being made in reducing emissions, Scottish agriculture still accounts for 18% of Scotland’s emissions.
It is possible to use our land to produce food, timber and other products in ways that help to protect and restore nature. As agriculture accounts for around 75% of Scotland’s land use, the policy decisions that influence how farmers, crofters and land managers use that land are of huge importance. Getting the policy framework right, to enable more farmers and crofters to do more for nature and climate, whilst producing high-quality food, is key.
As members of Scottish Environment LINK, the forum for Scotland’s voluntary environment community, we support the Farm for Scotland’s Future campaign. This campaign of more than 20 environment charities have joined with farmers’ groups to demand change. The campaign is aiming to influence Scottish Government decisions around the future of Scottish agriculture and has three headline asks:
Replace the decades-old farm funding system with one that works for nature, climate and people.
Ensure at least three quarters of public spending on farming supports methods that restore nature and tackle climate change.
Support all farmers and crofters in the transition to sustainable farming.
It’s vital as many people as possible let the Scottish Government know they want to see changes to farm payments so they better address the nature and climate emergency and give farmers, crofters and land managers the right support to do this. If you want to make your voice heard then go to farmforscotlandsfuture.scot/action to join the collective calls for change.
Scotland is at a crossroads. Policy changes like this do not come around often, and it’s so important we get these decisions right. The future of farming and our planet depends on it.
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.
The harvest is in for most of Scotland’s farmers. Those of us who enjoy the countryside will have seen the familiar autumn sight of straw bales in the fields and we are starting to hear the familiar sound of winter geese arriving.
At this time of seasonal change, there are also signs of systematic change coming down the track.
Due to the UK’s exit from the EU and its Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), all the governments of the UK are having to develop replacement farm funding systems. Scotland now needs to decide how it will use the hundreds of millions of pounds of public money – given to our farmers and crofters via the CAP – in new ways in the future. New laws that will govern our food and farming system from 2025 onwards are being drawn up, with the Scottish government inviting views now.
It is essential that everyone who cares about nature seizes this opportunity to influence the way ahead.
Three-quarters of Scotland’s land is used for farming, so there is huge potential to make a difference.
Many farming practices in recent decades have impacted on wildlife. Some species are clinging on thanks to beneficial farming in certain areas. But many have seen severe declines. Between 1995 and 2020, lapwings and curlews declined 60%, kestrels by 65% and oystercatchers by 36%.
As well as impacting nature, agriculture affects our climate. It is one of the top three contributors to Scotland’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
The Scottish Government spends around half a billion pounds of public money each year supporting the farming industry. Large parts of the industry depend on this funding to stay in business but very little of it supports nature- and climate-friendly farming. Most of the grants given to the industry are based purely on the amount of land someone owns. The system simply isn’t working.
RSPB Scotland supports continuing to use this public money to help farming but wants the majority used to support practices that will benefit us all.
This means providing better support to those farmers already doing the right things and ensuring more farmers are supported to:
Create new habitats and nature corridors
Plant trees and hedgerows
Create or restore wetlands such as ponds and peatlands
These habitats would also act as carbon stores, helping us address climate change.
By shifting the focus of funding to be nature and climate positive, we can ensure farmers and crofters are able to produce food and provide employment in a way that is genuinely sustainable. Done right, this shift will improve the resilience of Scotland’s farming businesses and food security too.
As well as tipping the balance in favour of nature- and climate-friendly farming, we need to see investment in advice and support services. You may be familiar with the idea of a just transition for those working in oil and gas – retraining and upskilling so workers can easily move into greener industries. Scotland should adopt a similar approach (investing in advice, support and training) so our farming system becomes genuinely sustainable and has a vibrant future.
With so much at stake, it’s vital that the Scottish government reaches out and engages with a broad range of people. The voices of those involved in the farming industry are important but, given the wide impact of food and farming in our daily lives, everyone’s voice matters. Getting this system right will deliver benefits for all of Scotland.
In inviting views on the way forward, the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs has made clear that the Scottish government is “committed to tackling the climate and biodiversity crises” and that “we are on a journey of significant transformation.”
Alongside almost 30 other organisations, as part of Scottish Environment LINK, we are urging the Scottish government to listen to the public and develop a new system of farm funding that works for nature, climate and people.
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’s fair to say that many of us in Scotland feel a deep affinity with farming and the landscapes and cultures it creates. However, the policy and the public money that supports the majority of farming isn’t well understood by the public in Scotland.
The Scottish Government’s 2022-23 budget for agricultural support is significant, totalling just under £800 million. A new Agriculture Bill in the works, which is still to be consulted on, so there’s going to be increasing public and parliamentary scrutiny over policy and subsidy for farming. But what’s the historical context here?
In Scotland we’ve seen broad intensification of agriculture since World War Two. Post-war policy created bigger, more productive farms. The first main policy driver of this intensification was the Agricultural Act of 1947, but the second most significant driver came in 1973, with entry into the European Economic Community, later to become the European Union.
The system of regulations and incentives created by the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has since then massively influenced domestic farming policy and, in turn, this has influenced our landscape and nature. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is an important body set up to advise national governments on the science around ecosystems. IPBES cites land use change, including the intensification of agriculture, as one of the five major drivers of ecological decline.
Initially the CAP was almost entirely focused on maximising food production. But, by the early 1980s overproduction of food and the negative environmental and economic impacts of this single focus were well recognised. Subsequent reforms have tried to move financial support away from a system focused on production.
The EU now sees the CAP as a “partnership between agriculture and society, and between Europe and its farmers” which aims to:
support farmers and improve agricultural productivity, ensuring a stable supply of affordable food;
safeguard European Union farmers to make a reasonable living;
help tackle climate change and the sustainable management of natural resources;
maintain rural areas and landscapes across the EU;
keep the rural economy alive by promoting jobs in farming, agri-food industries and associated sectors.
Agriculture is a devolved policy area, which means Scottish policy makers were given the opportunity to create a policy to replace the CAP when the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in 2016. The Scottish Parliament approved theAgriculture (Retained EU Law and Data) (Scotland) Act 2020, which allows CAP measures, with some simplification, to continue until 2023 when a new Agriculture Bill will be brought forward.
The stated aim of the Scottish Government and the Scottish Green Party Parliamentary Group is to “ensure our future policy stays broadly in line with the objectives of the new CAP as far as possible, to allow us to re-join the EU at a future point with minimal disruption”. This means that whatever policy is created cannot differ hugely from European policy, including policy setting out environmental commitments.
We understand that we can no longer just incentivise production at the expense of our environment and climate – we need a farm funding system that works for nature, climate, and people.
We’ve seen an encouraging vision from the Scottish government that states they will “transform how we support farming and food production in Scotland to become a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture.” As ever the devil will be in the, yet to be revealed, detail and we need to see what schemes the Scottish Government puts forward before we can say how likely it is that this vision will be realised.
The current system simply pays people for the amount and quality of land they own or farm, with most of the money going to the biggest farms on the best land. There are no conditions attached to this money.
The Scottish Government has committed to retain “direct funding” support to farmers and crofters, albeit with a promise that 50% of this will be conditional on delivering for biodiversity and climate by 2025. This conditionality could be a positive step forward if public money is meaningfully used to address the biggest challenge of our era, the climate and nature crisis.
However, if this money is used for ill-defined, non-targeted schemes we will fail to meet our nature and climate targets. Let’s keep in mind that around 75% of our land is used for agriculture and if we don’t get funding properly aligned with delivering nature and climate targets, we will not meet them.
There is a very strong argument to say that all public money should have some conditions attached to it, especially given the climate and nature emergencies.
It’s also important to remember that if half of this money is conditional, then the remaining half will be without conditions and not tied to delivering wider public benefits.
To improve understanding and make sure those taking part in the consultation process are fully engaged we need a fully open governance approach. We need to see a transparent, accountable and participation focused approach that fosters democratic decisions – not closed-door forums with very little input beyond certain chosen groups. The Scottish Government must work hard to help the public understand and comment on the issues surrounding agricultural policy.
The Farm for Scotland’s Future campaign is calling on the Scottish Government to replace the decades-old farm funding system with one that works for nature, climate and people.
Please join the campaign.
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 Ruth Taylor, agriculture and land-use policy manager, WWF Scotland
Scotland’s land and how we use it is hugely important in our fight against climate change and nature loss. Given that agriculture is Scotland’s main land use, Scottish farmers and crofters are key actors in making sure we reach climate change targets, restore nature, and produce food sustainably.
The way we support agriculture tends to fund measures that can damage the environment and nature and doesn’t adequately support those working in a nature-friendly way. That’s why we welcome recent calls on the Scottish Government from the Just Transition Commission to reform future farm support systems and support farmers to deliver greater climate action.
To put the urgency of action into context – almost a fifth of Scotland’s emissions come from agriculture and current emissions reductions trends are not where they need to be. Until this year, the sector’s emissions had remained static for over a decade and last year a report from WWF Scotland showed that the policy measures currently proposed for agriculture get us less than halfway to where we need to be for Scotland to remain on track to reach net zero as a nation.
We also know that our changing climate is already impacting Scottish farming. Research from WWF found that extreme weather in 2017 contributed to losses of up to £161 million for Scotland’s farmers. With the recent record-breaking temperatures, along with water scarcity and drought warnings, it’s clear that the sector is having to play catch-up to the changing climate, rather than taking proactive measures to drive down emissions.
This all shows that Scotland desperately needs a new and more ambitious system to support farming. The Scottish Government has a once in a lifetime opportunity to reframe how it spends the half a billion pounds that it directs every year to farm subsidies. This funding comes with few strings attached, benefits the most agriculturally productive and intensely farmed areas, and in some cases supports damage to the environment and nature.
We’re supporting Scottish Environment LINK’s ‘Farm for Scotland’s Future’ campaign which is calling on the Scottish Government to use its forthcoming Agriculture Bill to develop a rural support system that works for climate, nature, and people.
We agree with the Just Transition Commission’s calls for an ambitious farm payment scheme and would like to see a proposed Just Transition Plan for Agriculture brought forward before the introduction of legislation. This would give businesses and communities the guidance they need to invest in their future and receive the support necessary transition to regenerative farming systems while the Scottish Government frames how future support will guarantee reduced emissions, restore nature, and ensure that benefits are more fairly shared.
Scotland has the opportunity to lead the way by creating a system that supports our climate ambitions, people, and nature. By using a greater share of public money to support nature- and climate-friendly farming practices we can help biodiversity thrive, lock in carbon and support climate adaptation. This would also build resilience and bring benefits for farm businesses and rural communities.
Unless we take seriously the pressures land, nature, and climate are facing now, we will exacerbate problems for future generations of land managers by locking-in rising pressures on land from pollution and nature decline. And without urgent action we will fail to deliver a just transition for farming.
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.
The stereotypical image of Scotland is a land of majestic mountains, untouched glens and native woodland. Yet, in fact, three-quarters of Scotland’s land is agricultural and managed by farmers or crofters.
A fraction of this agricultural land is in the uplands, but much more is close to our cities, towns and villages. It’s the fields, woodlands and grasslands near our homes. It’s where we most often enjoy visits to the outdoors with our friends and families.
The Covid pandemic has shone an intense light upon the value of local farmland and greenspaces to nearby communities. It’s now clearer than ever that spending time in the countryside is vital to our health and wellbeing.
This is a positive habit that’s fundamental to tackling Scotland’s many public health challenges. It must be supported by legislation – including creating a farm funding system that incentivises famers to manage their land with nature, climate and people in mind.
While we’re lucky in Scotland to enjoy world-class access rights, it’s important to remember that those rights aren’t just a luxury, but they perform a fundamental public good. Getting into nature boosts our immune systems and builds resilience. It’s also vital for people to understand nature itself.
If a child has never seen a farm, how can they start to learn where our food comes from? If you’ve never experienced the joy of hearing the first cuckoo in spring or watched dragonflies darting over a burn, how on earth would you learn to value nature?
Likewise, seeing first-hand the role nature can play in protecting us from extreme weather events caused by climate change is crucial. New wetlands can reduce flood risk, while more space for wildflowers and grasses helps pollinating insects to thrive.
Photo: Ramblers Scotland
Farming and crofting practices that restore nature can lead to better places for people to enjoy, like pastures teeming with wildflowers, birds and the hum of bees. On the flipside, if people don’t visit and value nature, it’s far less likely they will want their hard-earned taxes to fund nature restoration and recovery.
Most outdoor recreation is free and therefore its benefits are available to everyone. This is really important if we’re serious about reducing health inequalities in Scotland.
But being free for all to enjoy doesn’t mean that outdoor recreation has little economic value. The Scottish Government’s recent natural capital accounts place a value of £62 billion on outdoor recreation, equivalent to 30% of the value of Scottish natural capital assets and bigger than the oil and gas sector. Similarly, VisitScotland estimates the walking market generates up to £1.26 billion to the Scottish economy.
Outdoor recreation is simply too important to the health and economy of the nation for the responsibility for funding infrastructure – such as paths, gates and parking – to always be unfairly heaped on those managing the land. Hotspots need to be managed and visitors need to be educated about their own responsibilities. It’s only right that this should be paid for through public funding.
Otherwise, farmers end up having to resolve problems which they haven’t caused. It’s perhaps understandable that repeated irresponsible behaviour can lead some land managers to seek to lock gates and put up intimidatory signage. But this just creates more barriers for people, deterring them from getting outdoors and causing ill-feeling when access is unlawfully restricted.
Since the Land Reform (Scotland) Act was passed in 2003, rural payments programmes have always included an element of funding for public access. The current programme, Improving Public Access, has been running since 2014 and has handed out over £11 million to farmers and crofters. The money has contributed towards path creation and maintenance, signposts, bridges and benches. It’s also very popular, with more applications being made than funding is available.
Given that the total agricultural funding for 2022-3 in Scotland is almost £800 million, this is a drop in the ocean but it’s absolutely vital that this access element continues – and increases – in any new scheme.
Most farmers have no incentive to fund public access on their land, unless they happen to also run a business like a farm shop and café which could benefit from keeping customers in the area for longer. More likely, however, they are working for the benefit of the wider community and for our public health more generally. That’s why we need to ensure they are supported.
This doesn’t need to be for costly infrastructure. Simply incentivising farmers to leave wide field margins in each field would create a rudimentary walking network quickly and cheaply. Currently, losing a strip of productive land can lead to farmers being financially penalised and this needs to be changed.
Field margins also benefit nature and can act as a buffer against diffuse pollution. Mowing certain margins to create a route through farmland will encourage people to use them and leave the remaining margins for ground nesting birds or pollinators. Paths also help farmers to predict where most people are likely to be walking, and therefore it’s easier to manage their land overall.
With 40-degree temperatures in Britain this summer highlighting that the climate and biodiversity crises are truly upon us, it’s clear that the status quo is no longer tenable. Farmers and crofters can all positively contribute to turning this situation around.
It’s also vital to remember that public access is a part of a thriving rural economy as well as providing huge benefits to our health and wellbeing. It’s only right that future funding is designed to benefit nature, climate and people.
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.
Trees and woods should be more common on Scotland’s farmland. An artificial division has grown up between agriculture and forestry which can give the impression that land managers must choose between growing timber or growing food. But trees can be integrated into farmland to increase food crop yields while bringing their own added benefits.
Trees on farms and crofts provide a range of benefits. They help tackle the twin climate and nature crises. They can regulate growing conditions benefiting crops and animals, provide shelter from wind and rain, regulate soil temperature, support important populations of pollinators, enhance water conservation, reduce soil erosion, and enrich soil fertility. If that wasn’t enough, they can also produce materials for sale or use on farms including timber, fruit, firewood, and fodder, benefiting farm and croft diversification.
Spotlight on trees on farms increasing productivity
Growing two crops from the same land, such as rows of fruit trees through arable crops, or combining livestock and trees for timber production, can increase total yield and on-farm productivity. Farm businesses can benefit from the services that trees provide, such as increased habitat for pollinators, shelter for livestock and crops to support improved growth, as well as diversified agricultural products such as fruits, nuts and timber. Productivity increase from integrated tree and farming systems can be significant, in some cases up to 40%. Hens ranging on land with 20% tree cover have been found to have increased laying rates and higher shell density meaning higher output, fewer second eggs and reduced losses. An integrated tree component can support farm businesses to operate throughout the year, evening out the peaks and troughs of seasonal labour demands as well as offering a more diverse source of year-round income for farm businesses.
Across Scotland a growing number of farmers and crofters are reaping these benefits. Mike and Clare Haworth at Baleveolan Croft on Lismore have integrated trees on their land to shelter the tea bushes and other wonderful things they grow. Andrew and Seonag Barbour near Pitlochry have seen how their sheep expend less energy and therefore need less feed when enjoying the shelter of trees.
The Integrating Trees Network, supported by the Scottish Government and Scottish Forestry, is linking up those farmers to build a critical mass of examples, and to facilitate peer to peer learning and experience sharing about growing trees as part of the business. The Network has six farm woodland demonstration sites across Scotland, with the hosts showcasing how growing trees has benefitted their business and sharing lessons learned along the way.
Despite the benefits, there are many barriers to integrating trees on farms. Many farmers have never considered tree planting, and some view trees as direct competition to agricultural crops.
Added to this is the lack of information and support available plus issues with the design of grant schemes and who manages them. Most farmers have limited awareness of the agroforestry grants provided by Scottish Forestry and gravitate towards the options available under the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme – because that is overseen by the arm of Government they are used to dealing with. None of these schemes are ideal but with input from farmers and crofters they can be re-designed to provide support for increased integration of trees on farms.
By supporting Farm for Scotland’s Future, Woodland Trust Scotland is joining 23 other organisations in asking the Scottish Government to support farmers and crofters to adopt nature- and climate-friendly farming methods such as the integration of trees on farms. As the current land use payment schemes are under review, we are urging the Scottish Government to work with stakeholders to ‘Make farming work for nature, climate and people.’
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 Milly Revill-Hayward, campaigns officer, RSPB Scotland
Farming in Scotland is important. It is an industry vital to our future which provides us with food, supports a rural workforce and underpins our food and drinks industry. However, we must also acknowledge the huge impacts that farming in Scotland has on nature. With three quarters of Scotland farmed, the way this land is managed influences nature, climate and wildlife on a landscape scale.
Many iconic bird species rely on farmland for feeding and breeding, including lapwing, curlew, corncrake and oystercatcher, as well as other species such as brown hare, marsh fritillary and small heath butterfly.
Unfortunately, whilst changes in farming practices have been very successful in increasing food production over the past 50 years or so, this has largely been achieved at the expense of nature and climate. Intensive and specialised farming practices have contributed to the degradation of soil, air and water resources, significantly increased levels of climate warming greenhouse gas emissions and devastating wildlife loss.
Population trends of farmland birds are often used to indicate the health of the ecosystems due to their place at the top of the food chain. The UK Farmland Bird Indicator includes 19 bird species which are dependent on farmland and unable to thrive in other habitats, and from 1970 to 2019, an index based on the population trends of these 19 farmland species declined by more than half.
Lapwing have declined by 58%, curlew by 56%, oystercatcher by 43%, and redshank by 38%. These declines in farmland bird species can be attributed to a range of factors including agricultural intensification, reduced diversity of crop types at the within-farm scale and reductions in spring-sown crops.
Marsh Fritillary – James Silvey
Agriculture is also a leading emitter of greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to the climate crisis and therefore, further loss of nature. In 2020, agriculture was responsible for 7.4 MtCO2e (18.5%) of greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland, making it one of the top 3 emitters, only behind domestic transport (9.5 MtCO2e) and business (7.8 MtCO2e).
In highlighting these figures, we are not seeking to attack farming or farmers. We know that for many in the farming industry it can feel like that. What these figures say to us is that farming can be part of the solution. Farming and crofting have a key role to play in helping wildlife and reducing climate warming emissions, whilst continuing to produce food for us to eat.
We have a pretty good idea how we can reverse the trends for wildlife loss and reduce emissions; with changes, farming can make a hugely positive contribution. We know that some farmers and crofters are already taking action; we believe that the problems largely lie with the policies which influence how all farmers and crofters manage their land.
More than £500 million of public money is spent each year to support farmers, and only a small proportion of this is currently used to help nature and climate – just 3% of the farm budget is spend on schemes that support nature- and climate-friendly farming most effectively. With the upcoming opportunity to influence the Agriculture Bill, the new system of farm payments must reflect our urgent need to tackle the nature and climate emergency.
We want to see a future where farmers and crofters in Scotland have adopted nature- and climate-friendly farming methods on their lands and provide space for nature to thrive. We want a future where declines in farmland wildlife will be halted and even start to be reversed, soils will be healthy and fertile, air and water pollution from agriculture will be prevented and greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced.
Nature- and climate-friendly farming will underpin food security, ensuring there are adequate supplies of locally produced, healthy and nutritious food for present and future generations. In this future, our countryside will be rich in nature and Scotland’s farmers and crofters, who manage this land and produce food from it, will earn a good livelihood from doing so.
We are in the midst of a nature and climate emergency. The 2019 State of Nature report shows that the abundance and distribution of Scotland’s species has declined over recent decades with 1 in 9 species threatened with extinction. Agricultural management has been identified as one of the key drivers of nature loss across Scotland, business as usual is not an option.
By supporting Farm for Scotland’s Future, we are asking the Scottish Government to support farmers and crofters to adopt nature- and climate-friendly farming methods. We want to see a large proportion of the more than half a billion pounds of public money given to Scottish farmers each year being used to support nature-friendly farming. Farming and food production in Scotland today is not sustainable, we need a transition to a system which works for nature, climate and people.
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 20 June, Scottish Environment LINK wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, announcing the launch by 24 environment charities of the Farm for Scotland’s Future campaign. The full letter, also available here, follows:
To: Mairi Gougeon MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands
Dear Cabinet Secretary,
FARM FOR SCOTLAND’S FUTURE
The upcoming introduction of an Agriculture Bill will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to replace the decades-old farm funding system with a new system that works for nature, climate and people.
The Farm for Scotland’s Future campaign, launched by 24 Scottish Environment LINK member charities and advised by farmers’ organisations, is calling on the Scottish Government to grasp this opportunity with both hands.
Farmers and crofters manage three quarters of Scotland’s land, and the effective stewardship of that land is essential in tackling the twin crises of climate change and nature loss. Farming is one of the main drivers of the decline in Scotland’s biodiversity and is also one of the top three sources of climate emissions in Scotland.
However, growing numbers of farmers are working to make agriculture part of the solution to our environmental crises. Supporting those farmers, and encouraging best practice right across the sector, will be crucial to meeting Scottish Government’s targets to reach Net Zero and to restore nature.
The Scottish Government has stated that it wants Scotland to “become a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture” with “a support framework that delivers high quality food production, climate mitigation and adaptation, and nature restoration.” Meeting those aspirations will require an ambitious approach to the design and implementation of the new agriculture support system.
The Farm for Scotland’s Future campaign is calling on the Scottish Government to:
Maintain the current level of public spending on agriculture.
Ensure most of this funding supports land management and farming methods that are nature friendly and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Increase investment in advice, knowledge transfer and training to help farmers and crofters adapt and change.
We are grateful for the engagement our members have had with you on these issues, and we look forward to further engagement with yourself and your colleagues across parliament as you take forward the Agriculture Bill.
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