Farmers’ role in reaching net zero

Farmers and crofters are on the frontline of Scotland’s changing climate. They are the first to see their lives and livelihoods uprooted by extreme weather events, such as the recent heavy rain in March.

In the future, these scenes will continue to play out with increasing frequency unless we take action now to help us reach net zero.

Many farmers are already adopting low-carbon practices. I regularly meet people on their land who are hugely committed. Their enthusiasm, expertise and willingness to change is inspiring.

We now want to build on this and create new opportunities for the industry to be more carbon efficient, more productive and more profitable.

But there is more we can all do to cut emissions and there is absolutely no conflict between our ambition to keep producing high-quality food whilst also addressing climate change.

This week, Net Zero Secretary Mairi McAllan announced new Scottish Government measures to support Scotland’s journey to net zero by 2045, including the deployment of new technologies to help lower the agriculture and land use sector’s emissions.

We will establish a pilot to help support the rollout of methane-suppressing feed products and encourage Scotland’s pioneering dairy farms to engage with their potential.

This could be a gamechanger in terms of reducing emissions from livestock and our work in this area will inform how we can support farmers to use similar products in the future.

We also want every farm and croft to have a Whole Farm Plan setting out how they are managing their land and emissions.

From 2025, farmers and crofters will already have to undertake two out of five actions from carbon auditing, soil testing, integrated pest management, an animal health and welfare plan and a biodiversity audit.

From 2028, we want to encourage farmers to have a nutrient management plan too.

And by 2028, every farmer and crofter receiving support will be expected to have undertaken a proportionate carbon audit – one suited to the scale and size of their farm and business.

Farms and estates have a key role to play in land management techniques that will help us tackle climate change.

Restoring and protecting our peatlands is vital to keeping carbon locked up.

That’s why we will fund research into how partial re-wetting of peat soils can co-exist with already established agricultural activities.

Deer can also cause a lot of damage to fragile ecosystems, which is why we plan to build on the current Cairngorms deer pilot scheme to incentivise increased management of deer, whilst also investing further in the venison supply chain.

These proposals create opportunities for rural businesses to build on the good work that many in the sector are already undertaking to get to net zero.

I am committed to working with them on that journey, to create a sustainable future for them, and for us all.

MESSAGE: Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie is pushing the Scottish Government message for carbon auditing.