Farming and crofting’s historic role as guardians of Scotland’s countryside needs an incentivised, upskilled and trained industry with the tools that can deliver for the benefit of our industry, our rural communities and society at large according to Vice President Alasdair Macnab.

Speaking at a NatureScot reception at the Royal Highland Show today (21 June), Alasdair said: “Our country and our industry are on a journey with new approaches to food production with Vision for Agriculture, Biodiversity Strategy, Good Food Nation, Land Reform, the involvement of non-agriculture funding sources and investments all having a say or influence on land use across the country.  Add to that the need for land for housing, industry, nature, water resource, woodland, recreation, health and wellbeing.  Quite a challenge, quite a journey.

“Journeys need destinations.  With climate change is it emissions reduction or net zero?  With food production is it to maintain the status quo, or to reduce fertilisers and pesticides with more organic production, or more intensive production in some areas to improve our food security? 

“With the countryside is it restoration to a landscape of 50, 100, 150 years ago to give the environment that supported a huge diversity of wildlife, or is it rewilding, a step into relatively uncharted territory with largely unknown consequences for us and nature, some intended, some may be unintended.

“Whatever journey we take with our countryside, something will always underpin that journey and the success of the destination. That something is the people who live on and work our land, principally our farmers and crofters who manage over 70% of Scotland’s land mass for agriculture.  

“There is much to untangle in the science and practice needed for this journey and some fundamental questions need an answer, but behind all this is an industry with a long track record of delivering and often overdelivering government policy, provided there are sustainable returns from the supply chain and the economic support to make delivery profitable.

“NFUS is clear on how it approaches influencing; sound science and long term proven and accepted practice is the basis of our position.  We welcome discussion with anybody and everybody who can advance their case on the same basis.

“NFU Scotland welcomes the Biodiversity Strategy for Scotland and its ambition to address the challenges facing soil, biodiversity, the environment and water management.  We are currently working on how this strategy can be delivered effectively by our industry for the ultimate benefit of our businesses, nature and society.

“We also welcome today’s announcement (21 June) from Farming Minister Jim Fairlie that a Wildlife and Species Management Forum is to be established, something that NFUS alongside other stakeholders have called for.

“However, there remain some big questions to be addressed.  Are we looking at our strategies, policies, visions and ambitions in the light of rapidly changing scientific knowledge and understanding or are we lagging behind the science?  Questions such as ‘local versus global,’ the relative sequestration capabilities of intensive forestry versus silvopasture and grazing of permanent pastures.

“Do we really understand nature?  Are we approaching nature incorrectly by working on single focus issues such as badgers, beavers, rewilding, intensive agriculture, woodland?  Should we be looking at nature as a biome, something farmers and crofters have done for centuries, working the land with an integrated approach.  Are we aware of the barriers and challenges we place in nature preventing it from functioning as it should, barriers such as insufficient funding, rabbit netting alongside hedges, fencing around woodland?

“Take beavers as an example.  Touted as the answer to flooding and a host of other benefits.  Are they?  Ask the farmers who lost seven figure sums to beaver damage to embankments last winter?  NFU Scotland takes a broad view on many issues such as trees, right place for the right tree and the right tree in that right place.  And it is the same with beavers, they have a place in the environment, but not where they can impact productive farmland.  We therefore advocate for beaver no-go zones.  

“With regard to flood management, I had the privilege of listening to Professor John Gilliland a couple of weeks ago.  He showed his audience the potential of light detection and ranging (LIDAR) technology to identify where rapid runoff occurs in a catchment and identify where and how that can be managed and run off slowed. Given the extensive damage from flooding that we have seen over the last few years; to do the whole of Scotland with LIDAR, the cost is small beer in the face of the cost and damage from flooding.  NFUS today calls for SG to invest in a nationwide LIDAR survey which will give a big start to manging our water resource and reduce the impacts of flooding on Scotland’s communities.  LIDAR has the extra benefit of identifying the amount of carbon stored in our plants and trees.

“The battle between ideology, aspiration and technology in the countryside largely ignores the key question, what is the primacy of agricultural land?  Is it not food production?  

“To do this our asks are simple, policies, incentives and regulation aligned to the continued delivery of our partnership with nature, a ring fenced, fully funded, ongoing five year support plan for farming and crofting, that will underpin a financially and operationally profitable, sustainable farming and crofting industry, to develop approaches that are consistent with science, that work, can be administered and applied for without the need for extensive and expensive consultancy input.  We look forward to working with NatureScot on making policies deliverable across our countryside to enhance nature, protect the environment and continue to produce the high-quality food you all expect on your tables. 

“To conclude, delivering for farming and nature needs an incentivised, upskilled and trained industry with the tools to enable us to make the decisions on the land we manage, without the need for additional advisory expenditure and let us deliver our historic role as guardians of Scotland’s countryside for the benefit of our industry, our rural communities and society at large.