Scottish farm leaders have set out an industry-backed roadmap to ensure the sector can produce food while meeting climate change and biodiversity targets.
NFU Scotland and Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) have designed a uniquely Scottish future agricultural policy framework that aims to deliver the outcomes required.
According to policy experts, the proposals will deliver on food production, climate change and biodiversity ambitions simultaneously.
It is a policy approach they believe fully recognises the complexity of current farm businesses and the need for a single coherent policy framework that can deliver across all sectors and farm types and sizes in Scotland.
The basis for support is ‘how’ production is undertaken, rather than ‘how much’, with such an approach aiming to safeguard the rural economy while also recognising the urgency of tackling emissions and biodiversity loss.
NFU Scotland and farmer-led Climate Change Groups (FLGs) say agriculture should contribute to achieving these goals, as does the Farming for 1.5 Degrees Final Report published this week.
Official figures show that the Scottish agriculture industry accounts for 20 percent of the country's greenhouse gas emissions.
Union president Martin Kennedy said any future agricultural policy framework should enable a 'just transition' from where farmers were today to where they needed to be in just a few short years.
He said: “Critical to success in agriculture delivering against Scotland’s ambitious climate, biodiversity and food sector ambitions is an appreciation by all, in particular Scottish government, that action is required now."
This approach would ensure that Scottish farming and crofting met environmental and climate challenges in a 'uniquely Scottish way', he added, while still delivering high quality, sustainable food production.
“Kick-starting change within the industry is required now so that farmers and crofters can start adjusting their systems and businesses through a transition phase to 2025 prior to a new agri policy being implemented," Mr Kennedy said.
