Scotland’s farmers need the right support to produce high-quality food and tackle the climate and nature crises.
We need to help our farmers and land managers adapt if we are going to deliver against the ambition we know we all need. This means farm payments that reward farmers for delivering for climate and nature, and a properly-funded system of sharing knowledge and innovation to help farmers do that.
Surveys show there is strong public backing for changing how agriculture is supported in Scotland, with three-quarters of people saying farmers and crofters should be paid to protect nature and reduce emissions, not just to produce food.
And those working the land know only too well how climate change is already affecting what they do. In the last year – the hottest in history for Scotland and the UK – an extended drought brought water shortages and some of the worst harvests ever known.