Chamber
Plenary, 28 Feb 2007
28 Feb 2007 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
Organic Farming
Our amendment echoes the terms of Sarah Boyack's motion on organic food fortnight, which was debated last September and which called on the Scottish Executive to step up its support for Scotland's organic movement. I hope that Ms Boyack, in her ministerial role, will continue to show her support for the issue and will provide the leadership that has so far been lacking in the implementation of the first organic action plan.
We welcome the progress that has been made in implementing some elements of the action plan. However, the NFUS was right to describe last year's organic aid funding as "shocking", while the Soil Association used the word "dismal". An apparent improvement in the proportion of arable organic land has been achieved mostly because the overall land area has fallen. That has boosted the percentage of good land, but it is hardly something for ministers to highlight confidently in press releases.
This afternoon, the Executive trumpeted the increase in organic aid scheme and maintenance payment rates over the past four years. However, it again focused on details, and did not mention the fact that since 2003 the overall budget has remained static. As a result, last year, a third of applicants to the organic aid scheme for conversion payments and two thirds of the applicants for maintenance payments were turned down. The Executive is acting as a brake on further growth, rationing out payments from a tiny budget and keeping organic farming in a niche box instead of encouraging new entrants and paying existing organic farmers for the public goods that they deliver.
How will we make genuine progress on this matter in the Parliament's next session? First, we must ensure that the organic action plan does not simply get lost amid fears of reduced overall agri-environment funding. We must remember that only a modest increase in support is needed. Expenditure on organic support is likely to total £5.5 million in 2007, which is the same as the figure in 2003. To set that figure in context, I point out that more than £388 million in single farm payments has already been paid out in 2006-07.
We welcome the progress that has been made in implementing some elements of the action plan. However, the NFUS was right to describe last year's organic aid funding as "shocking", while the Soil Association used the word "dismal". An apparent improvement in the proportion of arable organic land has been achieved mostly because the overall land area has fallen. That has boosted the percentage of good land, but it is hardly something for ministers to highlight confidently in press releases.
This afternoon, the Executive trumpeted the increase in organic aid scheme and maintenance payment rates over the past four years. However, it again focused on details, and did not mention the fact that since 2003 the overall budget has remained static. As a result, last year, a third of applicants to the organic aid scheme for conversion payments and two thirds of the applicants for maintenance payments were turned down. The Executive is acting as a brake on further growth, rationing out payments from a tiny budget and keeping organic farming in a niche box instead of encouraging new entrants and paying existing organic farmers for the public goods that they deliver.
How will we make genuine progress on this matter in the Parliament's next session? First, we must ensure that the organic action plan does not simply get lost amid fears of reduced overall agri-environment funding. We must remember that only a modest increase in support is needed. Expenditure on organic support is likely to total £5.5 million in 2007, which is the same as the figure in 2003. To set that figure in context, I point out that more than £388 million in single farm payments has already been paid out in 2006-07.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Murray Tosh):
Con
The next item of business is a debate on motion S2M-5655, in the name of Sarah Boyack, on the future of Scotland's organic farming.
The Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development (Sarah Boyack):
Lab
I was keen to secure a parliamentary debate on progress on the organic action plan. The Parliament was keen to support that plan in the first session, and I ...
Christine May (Central Fife) (Lab):
Lab
Will the minister also pay tribute to the many farmers in Scotland who, while they are not certified as organic, nonetheless use responsible farming methods ...
Sarah Boyack:
Lab
Obviously, I pay tribute to them. Environmentally friendly conventional farming can make a strong contribution to our country's biodiversity and landscapes. ...
Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green):
Green
Will the minister give way?
Sarah Boyack:
Lab
I will finish my point first.Of course, if we look behind those figures we can see that most sectors meet more than 70 per cent of demand, particularly the b...
Richard Lochhead (Moray) (SNP):
SNP
The Scottish National Party very much welcomes today's debate. It has been a long time since we debated agriculture in the chamber. It was debated many times...
Mr Andrew Arbuckle (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD):
LD
Is the member aware that the fact that applicants are not admitted to the organic aid scheme does not prevent them from going organic on their own?
Richard Lochhead:
SNP
I appreciate that, but I wanted to highlight the statistic, because it highlights the wider issue that faces farmers who are seeking financial support.The si...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Con
You should be winding up now, Mr Lochhead.
Richard Lochhead:
SNP
It is clear that we have to send out better signals to the organic sector in Scotland. The sector needs to know that it can compete for public procurement co...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Con
Thank you.
Richard Lochhead:
SNP
I commend the SNP amendment to the chamber. I move amendment S2M-5655.2, to insert at end:"but believes that, as many of the targets in the current Organic A...
Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con):
Con
I welcome the publication of the "Third Organic Annual Report", which is a document about which I take rather a more positive view than the previous speaker ...
Mr Ruskell:
Green
The table on page 54 of the Soil Association's "Market research study into the market penetration of Scottish organic produce" shows that only 50 per cent of...
Alex Johnstone:
Con
We are making radical progress. The danger in failing to match supply and demand is a collapse in prices. We have avoided that so far. In fact, the Executive...
Eleanor Scott (Highlands and Islands) (Green):
Green
Our amendment echoes the terms of Sarah Boyack's motion on organic food fortnight, which was debated last September and which called on the Scottish Executiv...
Mr Arbuckle:
LD
By how much would the Greens increase the organic support budget?
Eleanor Scott:
Green
We think that about £23 million would meet the true demand. As for Mr Arbuckle's intervention on an earlier speaker, saying that people can farm organically ...
Mr Andrew Arbuckle (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD):
LD
I point out to Ms Scott that a fair proportion of the agriculture sector operates on an unsupported basis—the producers of pigs, poultry, potatoes and soft f...
Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP):
SNP
Does the conventional farming that the member talks about use a lot of nitrate fertilisers? Is that a traditional form of Scottish farming? Can the use of su...
Mr Arbuckle:
LD
Conventional farmers do not use a lot of nitrate fertilisers, although they use them. Organic farmers use copper sulphate solution, which is pretty noxious, ...
Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab):
Lab
I welcome the "Third Organic Annual Report". It seems a long time since I last spoke on the subject, when I supported the aims of Robin Harper's Organic Farm...
Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP):
SNP
There has been a fair degree of change in the period of just more than four years since we last had a debate on organic farming—most of it has been for the b...
Mr Arbuckle:
LD
Will the member give way?
Stewart Stevenson:
SNP
I am sorry, I am in the last minute of my speech.I have difficulty with the claim that we are on target. According to the minutes of the 23rd meeting of the ...
Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab):
Lab
Like other members, I welcome the progress that has been made in moving organic produce up the agenda in Scotland and in taking the issue more seriously than...
Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con):
Con
Is that why you are sitting behind him?
Karen Gillon:
Lab
Jamie McGrigor can see that I am far enough away not to be part of his group.Like many members, I recognise the quality of what is produced throughout the fa...
Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green):
Green
I was a bit concerned, at the beginning of the debate, that it would be about motherhood and organic apple pie, albeit laced with finest Benromach malt whisk...