Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-02296 on
‎ 10 September 2021. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

Sustainable agriculture in Scotland has a vital role in producing high quality food for the nation, helping to reduce carbon emissions, delivering wider environmental benefits and improved biodiversity, and ensuring we use appropriate land to allow us to meet our climate change targets.

We are taking a partnership approach to addressing climate change within agriculture. We are building on the work of the farmer-led groups, through the establishment of the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board which is co-chaired by the President of the NFUS and has a number of farmers on the Board, and we are seeking wider stakeholder views through our consultation on ‘Agricultural Transition in Scotland: first steps towards our national policy’ which is open until 17 November 2021. We also have other existing networks through which we engage with farmers and land managers, including the Agriculture and Rural Development Stakeholder Group, the Farm Advisory Service, Farming for a Better Climate initiative, the Crofting Commission, the Integrating Trees Network and new initiatives being established for new entrants to farming.

We have established the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board which will contribute to the Scottish Government’s work to implement policy reform to cut emissions across agriculture, support the production of sustainable, high quality food, and design a new support system and approach. The Board will consider the Farming 1.5 Report together with the recommendations of the Farmer-led Groups, WWF Scotland, Just Transition, NFUS, the Climate Change Plan update and Scotland's Climate Assembly's Recommendations for Action Report when devising practical measures for delivery. It should also be noted that Mike Robinson, co-chair of Farming 1.5, is a member of the Board.

The Board will create a package of measures, which we will fund, that can be agreed as part of our approach to COP 26. This National Test Programme will include early progress on reducing livestock emissions and the package should be implemented by spring 2022 with recruitment of farmers and crofters expected to begin this autumn.

We are committed to working with industry and partners to best enable the agriculture sector to contribute to our world-leading emissions targets, support biodiversity and ensure a Just Transition for all involved. We therefore have launched a consultation which will ensure everyone can play their part in shaping the future of farming, food production and land use in Scotland.

We have committed to shift half of all funding for farming and crofting to conditional support by 2025, which will see farmers and crofters rewarded for their key role in delivering wider biodiversity and environmental benefits.

Scotland will continue to provide support to farmers and crofters for the work they do in producing food but with that support comes the requirement to farm in the most sustainable way possible.

The newly established Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board’s immediate priority and focus will be on how to make progress on cutting emissions from the livestock sector, including suckler beef. The Board will consider the Farming 1.5 Report together with the recommendations of the Farmer-led Groups, WWF Scotland, Just Transition, NFUS, the Climate Change Plan update and Scotland's Climate Assembly's Recommendations for Action Reportwhen devising practical measures for delivery. It should also be noted that Mike Robinson, co-chair of Farming 1.5, is a member of the Board.

The Board will create a package of measures, which we will fund, that can be agreed as part of our approach to COP 26. This National Test Programme will include early progress on reducing livestock emissions and the package should be implemented by spring 2022 with recruitment of farmers and crofters expected to begin this autumn.

As part of the Scottish Government’s 100 Days commitments within the portfolio of the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, we have established:

• the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board which will contribute to the Scottish Government’s work to implement policy reform, incorporating the relevant recommendations of the farmer-led groups to cut emissions across agriculture, support the production of sustainable, high quality food, and design a new support system and approach. A National Test Programme will include early progress on reducing livestock emissions and the package should be implemented by spring 2022, with recruitment of farmers and crofters expected to begin this Autumn;
• the Commission for the Land-based Learning Review, a short-term advisory group which will undertake a root and branch review of learning in Scotland’s land-based and aquaculture sectors - from early years to adulthood - to provide opportunities and qualifications through school, college, university and work-based learning, including apprenticeship, for more people, and specifically more women, to work with and on the land, particularly in green skills. The Commission has a reporting deadline of December 2022 and;
• the Scottish Agritourism Sector Group, which will explore how agritourism can deliver a range of Scottish Government policies across tourism, agriculture and food and drink and create a national strategy for agritourism focused around consumer demand, quality of experience, sustainability and a clearly defined sector and customer experience. The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands will be launching the growth strategy at the Scottish Agritourism Conference in November.

The Scottish Government welcomes the Farming for 1.5 report and will consider the recommendations carefully along with the other reports recently received, including the five farming sector farmer-led groups.

We have established the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board which will contribute to the Scottish Government’s work to implement policy reform, incorporating the relevant recommendations of the farmer-led groups to cut emissions across agriculture, support the production of sustainable, high quality food, and design a new support system and approach.

The Board will create a package of measures, which we will fund, that can be agreed as part of our approach to COP 26. This National Test Programme will include early progress on reducing livestock emissions and the package should be implemented by spring 2022 with recruitment of farmers and crofters expected to begin this autumn. It should also be noted that Mike Robinson, co-chair of Farming 1.5, is a member of the Board.

The material requested includes complex and potentially sensitive information, requiring careful consideration before any release. This is currently being collated and I will write to the member as soon as the information is available. A copy will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib number 62683).

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-02296 on
‎ 10 September 2021. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

We asked the Salmon Interactions Working Group to consider the conclusions of the 2018 report by the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee, Salmon Farming in Scotland , and to provide recommendations on a future interactions approach.

As committed to in the Scottish Government and Scottish Green Party shared policy programme, we will respond to the Salmon Interactions Working Group Report this month and there will be a consultation on the spatially adaptive sea lice risk assessment framework for fish farms which has been progressed by the technical working group of statutory bodies.

The regulatory review will help to inform what more can be done within the current regime to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the regulatory framework and consider options on how to deliver further reform in the longer term.

An overview of the expected phases of the external review of the current regulatory processes involved in fish farming can be found on the Scottish Government website at: Aquaculture: external review of the current regulatory processes involved in fish farming - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)