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5. Environment
Goal
A Forward Strategy for Scottish Agriculture rightly stated that Scotland's natural environment is one of our most precious assets and set out the challenge for farmers, crofters and other land managers to protect and enhance it. Since 2001, good progress has been made and much has been done to consolidate achievements and address a wider range of issues.
To this end, our third goal is that:
Scottish agriculture should continue to be a leading player in the protection and enhancement of our environment, with increased emphasis on climate change and the promotion of a landscape-scale approach.
Progress
Following on from A Forward Strategy for Scottish Agriculture, the Custodians of Change report addressed important environmental issues such as diffuse pollution, biodiversity and habitats and landscape. Many farmers and crofters continue to demonstrate through their actions that they have a real and deep commitment to the environment. Their efforts have been supported through government action. Decoupling of farm subsidies from production should encourage farmers to be more environmentally sensitive. Environmental obligations have been built into the Single Farm Payment Scheme while incentives to do more than the statutory minimum have been provided through Land Management Contracts. Guidance to farmers has been improved through revision of the Prevention of Environmental Pollution from Agricultural Activity ( PEPFAA) Code and production of the Four Point Plan to minimise pollution from livestock farming.
While farmers have reduced the number of serious pollution incidents through better storage of slurry and silage effluent, diffuse pollution from agriculture remains a threat to the achievement of a good water environment. The Executive is committed to achieving good water status in Scotland's waters (rivers, lochs, groundwater and coastal waters) in line with the EU Water Framework Directive. Legislation has been introduced to protect the water environment and, in December 2005, the Executive issued a consultation paper on tackling diffuse pollution. SEPA has introduced NetRegs, a web-based plain language guide for farmers and small businesses on how to comply with environmental law and adopt good environmental practice.Good soil management contributes to the achievement of environmental objectives for water, air and climate change, whilst soils also merit protection in their own right. A Farm Soils Plan has been produced to provide straightforward guidance for arable farmers on ways to minimise pollution and benefit businesses through good soil management. Scotland's Biodiversity, a 25 year strategy for conserving and enhancing biodiversity, was published in 2004 and an implementation plan was published in March 2005. All these issues remain relevant and challenging for the industry.
Maintaining momentum
As agricultural land accounts for almost 80% of the land area of Scotland, the way this land is farmed has a significant effect on our environment. Developing sustainable, environmentally sensitive farming systems remains a key feature of the Strategy. Choosing our future: Scotland's Sustainable Development Strategy emphasises the need to increase the take up of locally produced food. Farming also makes an important contribution to the development of tourism and recreation in terms of scenic value, wildlife and leisure facilities. Farmers will continue to be faced with legislation and regulation to provide essential environmental protection. In order to minimise the regulatory burden on the industry, regulation needs to focus on real problems and be fair, proportionate and realistic. Beyond that, there are financial incentives, such as those delivered through Land Management Contracts, which are designed to reward farmers for the important work they do in protecting and enhancing the environment and other natural resources such as biodiversity, water and soils. There are also opportunities for farmers to generate additional income from providing goods and services to, for example, tourists who may be drawn to visit the area on account of its environmental appeal. We believe that the principles of sharing information which underlie the Monitor farm approach can also be applied to the development of environmentally sensitive farming systems.
As explained in section 2, evidence about the prospect of climate change continues to mount. This is a serious issue for Scottish agriculture, in terms of both the contribution it can make to mitigation and the scope for adaptation to changing climatic conditions. The industry can contribute positively to climate change targets by producing renewable energy crops that absorb carbon dioxide. This also offers commercial opportunities: for example, the production of biomass from sustainably managed farm woodlands, animal waste and biofuel energy crops may provide alternative streams of income.
We also believe that there is a need to encourage a landscape-scale approach to the environmental improvement of Scotland's farmland. This should encompass the enhancement and conservation of both our natural and rural cultural heritage within a relevant biogeographical context. It should provide the framework for the management of land, biodiversity and soil and water protection. To help achieve this, grant schemes should identify national, regional and local priorities and encourage collaborative approaches. Advisory services and related activities, such as whole farm planning, should also be used to promote this wider, landscape-scale approach to identifying environmental opportunities.
An important factor in determining the longer-term approach to the role of agriculture in protecting and enhancing the environment is to develop a better understanding of the positive and negative effects of farming. In addition to meeting their legal obligations, farmers can and do provide environmental and other non-market benefits (such as access for recreation and biodiversity conservation) for which they gain little or no tangible reward. There is a need to evaluate these benefits and to measure key indicators of change so as to tailor policy to achieve greatest gain. For example, estimates of the non-market benefits of agriculture can help in ensuring best use of money from grant schemes. This information can also be used to help raise public awareness and understanding of the wider benefits ("public goods") flowing from Scottish agriculture.
Actions
- Establish a stakeholder group to evaluate and monitor agriculture's response to climate change, through mitigation and adaptation (including the potential for related business opportunities).
- Promote an integrated, landscape-scale approach to environmental improvement with clearly established local and regional priorities to improve effectiveness of grant schemes, advisory services and related actions.
- Review research that evaluates the non-market benefits of Scottish agriculture in order to provide an evidence-base for stakeholders and policy-makers, and to help promote wider understanding of the environmental benefits provided by Scottish agriculture and Scottish food.
- Implement action on diffuse water pollution based on sound science and the outcome of the current consultation exercise.
- Continue action to implement the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy.
- Examine ways to secure compliance with environmental legislation without imposing undue costs or constraints on farm businesses.
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