Hansard

As a novice in agriculture debates, I found it particularly useful to read “The Future of Scottish Agriculture: a Discussion Document”, which addresses some of the key opportunities and challenges that are facing the sector. It says that the sector must become more efficient and sustainable, given climate change imperatives. That necessitates closer working with farmers and the use of new technology as the CAP payments that make up 70 per cent of farmers’ net profits are reduced in the coming year.

Turning unique, desirable and ethical Scottish produce into profit, based on an international and national reputation, is vital in the long term. We are told that, in Scotland, only 27 per cent of farmers have formal agricultural training—I was surprised to hear that—and many would benefit from a more diverse skill set when adapting to new demands.

In recognising the unique qualities of Scottish local and regional produce, farmers can make an impression on international markets; some of the figures for food and drink exports in recent years bear that out. That is why outcome 1 of the discussion document recommends that farmers should anticipate demand and meet consumers’ expectations for quality and sustainability. The outcome also suggests that

“Farmers monitor their productivity, using benchmarking data and other tools to identify opportunities for improvement”.

Will the minister comment on what extra training will be provided to assist farmers in getting to grips with such a formula for improvement?

I found a lot that was positive in the discussion document although, in the context of our amendment, it is unfortunate that the document did not mention the Agricultural Wages Board, which is so important for securing agricultural workers’ wellbeing and livelihoods. I was most concerned to hear from Sarah Boyack and Rhoda Grant that it might well be abolished. It is important that that issue is addressed in the debate.

In recent months, the agricultural sector has been reacting to a number of economic shocks to the supply chain, which has served to illustrate the need for a more resilient strategy to support producers. To take the most obvious example that other members have mentioned, we are all aware of the challenges that dairy farmers face with production costs outweighing wholesale value, and severe price volatility and uncertainty over payments impacting on livelihoods. Sarah Boyack and our amendment emphasise the urgent need to accelerate the implementation of the dairy action plan and the overhaul of the sectoral supply chains to deliver fairer prices for farmers.

In the longer term, there needs to be a focus on Scottish dairy products as a brand and a concerted effort to gain local and international recognition for excellence in the food and drink sector. Welcome extra funding has been given to the Scottish dairy growth board to develop a Scottish dairy brand and range of products. I look forward to hearing how those fare at showcasing Scotland’s meet the buyers event next month.

On a more local level, the push to get more local products on the shelves in Scottish stores is also welcome and important. The plan had targeted doing that in May this year and I would be interested to hear whether there have been any discernible results from the measure, which stores took part, whether they reported figures and whether they will agree to continue making local products a top priority for promotion.

We certainly need to do everything possible to support local growing initiatives. The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 provides a new framework for community growing and allotments where local residents can grow produce for personal consumption or for sale. In the past year alone, the number of local food projects has grown, with 150 new developments across Scotland. Those projects serve to change attitudes to food, increase awareness of the supply chain, encourage a sense of community endeavour and improve the environment.

The sector offers an opportunity for growth, with smaller firms being more productive per acre, according to the local food education group Nourish Scotland. They also have the capacity to reduce carbon from production. Around a fifth of Scottish greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture and the related land use sector.

In 2014, Nourish reported on the need to encourage consumers to choose local produce. Its “Growing the Local Food Economy in Scotland” report highlighted the fact that there is a considerable lack of public awareness of the socioeconomic and ecological importance of local food. Much of the rhetoric around buying local does not necessarily translate into buying decisions. Nourish suggests that a long-term partnership between the Government and the local food sector is essential for the sustainable growth and development of local food. Such an approach would help growers and small producers that are situated in urban environments, such as the Leith Community Crops in Pots organisation, to widen their market to local retailers who are looking to profit from the locally sourced brand. I was interested to see a new locally sourced food initiative that was launched this week, called Leith food assembly. Members can see information about that in a tweet that I posted on 20 September.

Sustainability and the success of the agriculture sector require a multifaceted approach that takes into account the diversity of food and drink production in Scotland. We must find a balance between promoting our brand in the competitive globalised market and encouraging greater awareness of the vast benefits of local growing. A growing global population indicates a future of growing demand, but we must seek development within the boundaries of what is sustainable and not run up a debt of overexploitation and sky-high emissions that cannot be reversed.