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Plenary, 06 Feb 2003

06 Feb 2003 · S1 · Plenary

Item of business

Organic Farming Targets (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

McGugan, Irene SNP North East Scotland Watch on SPTV

My personal enthusiasm for organic food and farming goes back a long way; my support for the bill today is not tokenistic. I have been a consistent advocate within the SNP for organic farming, I was an original member of Robin Harper's steering group and, not least, I am a consumer. I participate in an organic vegetable box scheme, so I regularly receive leafy greens with regulation slugs included. My husband complains that there is often more meat in the vegetable box than he sees in a butcher's shop.

I am in the scheme because, like many consumers, my real frustration in recent years has been that it is possible to get fresh organic produce in the supermarkets, but not local, fresh organic produce. That should be possible in many cases, especially in the north-east, where we are renowned for the quality of our farm products. Taking action to develop the sector so that we become much less dependent on imports is long overdue. In my view, pushing up the ratio of organic land from 7 per cent to 20 per cent of the total over the next 10 years seems eminently appropriate.

It should be noted that as recently as last month a MORI poll of more than 1,000 adults confirmed that most Scots—68 per cent—want more organic farming and 64 per cent of those interviewed believe that the Scottish Executive should set targets to achieve that. I am sure that many members have, like myself, received lots of e-mails and letters that confirm that view.

I note Robin Harper's flexibility on having targets in the bill, but it is the case that most European Union member states have set targets for conversion. Those states include Sweden, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, Austria and Finland. How do they manage it? Even where targets have not been set, they are seen as an important part of a longer-term strategy.

The Welsh Assembly has been mentioned. It approved a target of a 10 per cent conversion of farmland by 2005. European agriculture ministers, including the UK minister, have signed up to and committed themselves to the development of a European action plan, with a target of 20 per cent by 2010.

I remind Ross Finnie and his colleagues that in April of this year the Liberal Democrats passed a resolution in favour of an organic action plan, which included "an ambitious minimum target". Charles Kennedy said that he wants to see 30 per cent of farmland converted to organic by 2010.

Like other members, I am pleased that the Executive now has an action plan, which has real potential. One disappointment, however, is that I understand that the organic aid scheme is to be discretionary and not mandatory; a lot remains to be seen in terms of implementation. What I and many others want to ensure is the implementation, by whatever means, of a secure and robust framework for the development of organic farming in Scotland over the next decade. Financial and technical support needs to be there for farmers to convert with confidence. There must be much more meaningful support for organic farmers; they face a series of practical and financial difficulties when they seek to convert to organic and in maintaining organic status.

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Plenary, 06 Feb 2003

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