A blueprint for a climate change-compliant Scottish farming industry is expected to be produced in the next 12 months.
As pressure mounts on the agriculture industry to respond to the Scottish Government’s commitment to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, a new independent body has been established to explore how farming can still have a bright future in a low-carbon landscape.
Called “Farming for 1.5 Degrees”, and comprised of Scottish farmers, scientists and environmentalists, the body will take evidence from a variety of sources over the next 12 months before producing a report proposing agreed targets for reducing net greenhouse gas emissions which still enable the industry to produce high quality food.
The specific measures the industry needs to take to achieve these targets will also be identified.
The group will be co-chaired by Mike Robinson, chief executive of the Perth-based Royal Scottish Geographical Society, and former farmers’ union president, Nigel Miller.
NFU Scotland (NFUS) is supporting the group alongside food policy charity, Nourish Scotland, and union president, Andrew McCornick, made it clear he believed farmers and crofters were part of the solution to help deliver on the recommendation that Scotland can achieve net-zero emissions by 2045.
He said: “This independent inquiry is a ground-up initiative looking for solutions that work for the industry at grass roots level. The farmer involvement in this inquiry will help shape its findings and build on the green credentials that already exist around Scotland’s agriculture.
“Reducing agricultural emissions in Scotland will be fundamentally challenging but, we believe, need not be at the expense of producing food, cutting livestock numbers or exporting our emissions by relying on food imports.”
Group members include Aberdeenshire farmer Philip Sleigh and Professor Sarah Skerratt of SRUC.