The current agri-environment climate scheme is part of pillar 2 and the Scottish rural development programme, and its funding is available to all. However, because the funding is limited, applications are assessed on a points basis, and points mean prizes. As a rule, if applicants are big enough and in the right place, they get enough points. If they are not big enough and in the wrong place, they do not get the right number of points, so it does not matter how good their application is. There is not enough funding to go around, so the Scottish Government and other organisations have difficult decisions to take. The participation rate in the agri-environment climate scheme is nowhere near as high as we would all like it to be.
An alternative approach would be to take some funding out of that scheme, or provide additional funding, to operate a non-competitive approach whereby every farm and croft could choose activities from a list of options, such as soil testing and nutrient management work to help to improve carbon storage, nutrient budgeting or producing extensive grazing management plans for common grazing and upland areas, which would benefit habitats and biodiversity, and carbon storage. We used to have the land managers options scheme, which was the same in essence. Before that, we had environmentally sensitive areas, through which there was geographically targeted funding that did pretty much the same thing. It is like “Back to the Future”, in some ways.
We need to put in some practical, effective measures that farmers and crofters can work with, and which will fit with their aspirations for operating their businesses, will not cost a heap of money—because we are talking about an allocation per farm business—and will not only add value to their businesses through how they operate and manage their land, but add an environmental bonus. That is exactly our argument in “Steps to Change”.
That would require a change to what we currently do. Would the bill enable that? It would probably start the piloting process for the change, because that is in the bill, but it would not provide for its roll-out. If the agriculture sector is to achieve its climate change plan targets, it is quite clear that every farmer and crofter will have to do everything everywhere. That will soak up a lot of resources, so we will need that funding if we are to play our part.