Webinar: Farm for Scotland's Future, 13 March 2023

Farming is vital to Scotland's future. As well as producing food, farmers and crofters manage three quarters of Scotland's land.

But the dominant farming methods of today make farming one of Scotland's top three sources of climate emissions, and a major cause of nature loss.

The Scottish government spends more than half a billion pounds on farming every year. Yet it is failing to help farmers and crofters protect and restore nature or tackle climate change.

In 2023, with the introduction of new Scottish agriculture legislation, we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to change the system.

The Farm for Scotland's Future campaign was launched by more than 30 environmental organisations and farmers' groups, to call on the Scottish government to create a new farm funding system that helps all farmers and crofters produce food while restoring nature, tackling climate change, and revitalising our rural areas for everyone to enjoy.

The campaign is coordinated by Scottish Environment LINK.

Watch the recording of our webinar to find out more about the campaign and how you can help make a difference.

Speakers:

Ruth Taylor, agriculture and land use policy manager at WWF Scotland, outlines the Farm for Scotland’s Future campaign, showing us why farming has such a key role to play in reducing Scotland’s climate emissions and restoring our nature. Our decades-old farm funding system is failing to address these huge challenges, and it’s also deeply unfair to farmers and crofters. But with the Scottish government due to introduce a new agriculture bill this autumn, now is the time to change the system!

Nikki Yoxall, a first generation farmer in Aberdeenshire, introduces us to ‘The Wee Mob’, her mobile herd of cattle. As well as producing beef, the herd’s grazing services help a range of landowners manage pasture, woodland and hill ground, leaving them with healthier soils, plants and water courses, and improved wildlife habitats. Regenerative grazing is one of many farming practices that the new funding system could support to help farmers on the journey to environmental and financial sustainability. Nikki's farm business is Grampian Graziers, and she is also head of research at Pasture for Life.

Helen O’Keefe introduces us to her work at Middleton Croft in Sutherland, where she practices small-scale horticulture and sheep rearing using regenerative approaches suited to her croft’s diverse landscape spanning moorland, wetland, limestone grassland and ancient woodlands. She also runs a tearoom and launched a local collective food hub. Helen outlines the key role that crofting can play in maintaining and restoring biodiversity, and in building prosperous and resilient local communities. The new funding system is an opportunity to ensure that crofters receive the support they need to do this work.