"How many apples fell on Newton's head before he took the hint? Nature is always hinting at us. It hints over and over again. And suddenly we take the hint."
Those words from American poet Robert Frost apply to what’s happening around us today. Nature has been hinting big time that it is in trouble. One in nine Scottish wildlife species is at risk of extinction. Birds that rely on hedgerows, long grasses, and wetlands, as well as insects for food, have been in steep decline. The way we have farmed our land since the Second World War, maximising food production at the expense of nature, must change.
This autumn we expect the Scottish Government to present its long-awaited Agriculture Bill, which will set the framework for how hundreds of millions of pounds of public funds support farming.
We know that the current system allows wildlife declines and pollution.
We also know that the Scottish public supports farmers and crofters and wants to help them do the right thing.
Below we look more closely at the situation, consider the solutions and assess whether the Scottish Government is on the right track.
Given the amount of Scotland that is farmed, the opportunity to turn around nature’s fortunes is huge. Currently, less than 10% of public funding for farming goes towards activities that help nature or tackle climate change. We need to get that number up and to make it easier for farmers to adopt best practices.
The kinds of farming practices we should see incentivised are those which protect existing habitats, or create new ones such as hedgerows, woodlands and wetlands. We know the benefit of flower-rich habitats for pollinators and other insects. Nature is crying out for more variety. As Scotland’s national poet Robert Burns once wrote: “The voice of Nature loudly cries.”
The other big opportunities the Agriculture Bill provides are around reducing pesticides and artificial nitrogen – helping farmers and crofters convert to organic. Despite cost pressures, the market for organic food remains strong and in other countries it is supported through public procurement such as school and hospital meals. We know going organic cuts carbon emissions, and we know land use is a massive source of emissions in Scotland. Incentivising low-carbon farming is essential if we are to hit net zero.
The Scottish Government has said it wants Scotland to be a leader in sustainable agriculture, which we agree with, and an earlier consultation on the Agriculture Bill put nature and climate up front, alongside food production. But we are concerned at the slow pace of change. The Bill will set a framework for payments, some of which won’t kick in until 2027. We are in a nature and climate crisis right now, and we need the pace of policy change to match the urgency of the crisis.
With the Agriculture Bill, Scotland has a chance to mainstream nature restoration and emissions reduction, and a chance to support farmers with advice and training so no-one is left behind. It’s also an opportunity to improve food security, as without a healthy natural environment we become even more exposed to global supply shocks.
We’ll assess the Bill when it is published this autumn, and we’ll keep you informed as it progresses. Your voice will be essential in shaping it. Meantime, if you want to help others understand how nature, climate and farming are connected, I recommend asking to host a screening of this Wild Isles inspired film, Hungry for Change.
Together we can change the system away from one that allows wildlife declines and pollution and toward one that makes it easy for farmers and crofters to in supporting nature protection and recovery.
Main image: a Robin perched on a bowl of windfall apples. Ray Kennedy
Great article. Graphics are very helpful