NFU Scotland's outgoing president has used his final conference address to call for 'proper credit' to be given to Scottish farmers for their 'world leading' environmental work.
Martin Kennedy, who retires from office in February 2025, used the annual conference to urge 'due recognition' for farmers' contribution to the renowned reputation of Scottish food.
He called out businesses 'with no scruples', employing green washing tactics which he believes detracts from farmers' carbon credits and does little to mitigate their own environmental failings.
Mr Kennedy also spoke out against rewilding practices which are "driven by so called environmentalists [who] are forced to sell land to pay off debts accrued by purchasing other land for rewilding, using taxpayers’ money"
The comments were made to the Scottish farming industry at the union's conference, held at the Royal Highland Showground, near Edinburgh today (24 October).
The annual event placed a focus on profit maximisation by encouraging Scottish farmers to amplify their environmental credentials.
Mr Kennedy, a Perthshire farmer himself, said: “Some rewilding projects are driven by those who have little or no business sense whatsoever.
"[They] have no appreciation of the unintended consequences that their projects create further down the track and do not understand what makes rural and remote communities thrive.
Mr Kennedy claimed that minor improvements to existing farming and crofting practices would see far more environmental benefits than any rewilding initiative, which, in his view, "simply depopulates vast areas of land".
“All these projects will achieve is the creation of vast landscapes at huge risk of wildfire; the elimination of our rural communities and along with it our ability to produce food and drive a profitable return on investment.
“We must take every opportunity available to not only make changes that will make a difference to all our futures, through the likes of carbon audits and soil testing, but also applaud a lot of current good practice that doesn’t get the recognition it deserves."
