SAVED: PAGE: ACTIVE AREA:

Scottish farmers and crofters must receive proper recognition for green credentials

NFU Scotland President Martin Kennedy, who steps down from office in February 2025, used his final Autumn conference address to call for Scottish farmers and crofters to receive proper credit for their world leading green credentials.

Mr. Kennedy was addressing a full house of delegates at the Autumn event, held in the Pavilion in the Royal Highland Showground near Edinburgh where the conference focused on enabling farmers and crofters to drive more profitability into their businesses through maximising their environmental credentials.

In calling for farmers and crofters to receive due recognition of the role that their standards play in underpinning the worldwide reputation of Scottish food and drink, Mr Kennedy said we can no longer sit back and watch others take the credit unjustifiably.

He said: “Whether that’s green washing with big businesses buying into our carbon credits with no scruples and, more importantly, not actually doing anything meaningful to reduce their own failings. 

“Or even worse, watching on as ‘rewilding’ initiatives driven by so called environmentalists are forced to sell land to pay off debts accrued by purchasing other land for rewilding using taxpayers’ money.  Incredible!

“Some rewilding projects are driven by those who have little or no business sense whatsoever; 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.

“This is exactly why we, as farmers and crofters, need to be very protective of our green credentials, many of which are already there in abundance due to traditional agricultural practices. 

“The reality is, with some relatively small improvements to our current farming and crofting methods, we will deliver far more outcomes than any rewilding project that 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. 

“Not everything that we’re doing as farmers and crofters is perfect, far from it.  But 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 and reward a lot of current good practice that doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.

“So provided our future policy focus continues in the right direction, with food production at the heart of it, and that is backed by a robust funding package from next week’s UK Government budget, then we can deliver on the many asks that society has of Scottish farming and crofting today.”  

Notes for editors


End

Author: Bob Carruth

Date Published:

News Article No.: 87/24


< Article List

Close

Report Abusive Comment

Comment Content:

Why it offends me (optional):



Have Your Say

No-one has commented on this article yet. Be the first to have your say...

New Comment

Share

Total Pages:
Total Results:
Page Start:
Page Result #:

About The Author

Bob Carruth

A dairy farmer’s son, I joined NFU Scotland in 1999 after 13 years as an agricultural journalist. Following spells as a regional manager and policy lead on milk, livestock and animal health and welfare, I became Communications Director in 2008.

Quick Contact

 
 
Which Region do you live in?  
Are you a member of NFU Scotland?  
 
 

This form collects and sends the information supplied to NFU Scotland. You can read our privacy policy for full details on how we protect and manage your data.
  I consent to having NFU Scotland collect the above details.

Registred Address

NFU Scotland
Head Office
Rural Centre - West Mains
Ingliston, Midlothian
EH28 8LT

Place of registration: Scotland

Company Registration Number: SC214564

Tel: 0131 472 4000
Email: info@nfus.org.uk

NFU Mutual Logo

Get the App

NFUS App QR Code

©NFU Scotland • All Rights Reserved • Web design by Big Red DigitalLog in

Close

Contact Us

 

 

 

No Robots:

This form collects and sends the information supplied to NFU Scotland. You can read our privacy policy for full details on how we protect and manage your data.
  I consent to having NFU Scotland collect the above details.