Questions remain unanswered on new Agriculture Bill ahead of key Holyrood debate

Press Release

Concerns around the continued lack of clarity being given to Scotland’s agricultural sector on the impact of the new agriculture bill are not being addressed by government, Scottish Land & Estates said today.

Ahead of the Stage 1 Debate on the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill, the rural business organisation’s Senior Policy Adviser on Agriculture, Eleanor Kay, repeated her call – previously given to a parliamentary committee – that future expectations of farmers and land managers needed to be more clearly communicated by the Scottish Government.

The comments come amid a blizzard of legislation targeted at rural Scotland, with the publication of the Land Reform Bill, the passing of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill, and the Stage 1 Debate on the Agriculture Bill all taking place within a 14 day period.

Scottish Land & Estates’ Senior Policy Adviser on Agriculture, Eleanor Kay, said:

“With the Agriculture Bill being brought before MSPs, it is astonishing that so few key questions around the expectations this Bill will place on Scotland’s farmers and land managers remain unanswered. The impression this gives is that farmers and stakeholders are being left out of the loop, whilst the Scottish Government continues to make policy in silos.

“Scotland’s farmers and land managers are here to help. They want to engage with the process and help to deliver on the Scottish Government’s targets - but they cannot do that without a clear commitment from ministers to co-design policies with them, such as the code of practice and support plans that are outlined within the Bill. The entire agricultural sector is deeply concerned about the lack of direction being given to it. They need to know what is going to be expected of them when this legislation is passed, and how quickly they will be expected to do it.

“After the very critical Climate Change Committee’s report into Scotland’s progress on meeting their emissions reduction targets, this legislation can be a lever to enable farmers and land managers to shift the dial in the right direction. Without the right support to mitigate the twin climate and nature crises, they will not be able to continue producing the high-quality food that stock our supermarket shelves. The vast majority of farmers are already working hard to deliver public good for the support they receive, but their ability to continue doing so hinges on getting this Bill right. The best way to do that is by working more closely with them, and being clear about what is expected looking forward.”