Academic Advisory Panel – 5 May 2023 – Advisory Note

Items and actions

This advisory note has been prepared by the Academic Advisory Panel (AAP) as a response to a request from the Agricultural Reform Implementation Oversight Board (ARIOB). The note provides insights on achieving a just transition to climate-positive and nature-positive agriculture, and on factors which influence adaptations to agricultural practice. The note is a summary of discussion points raised during the AAP meeting on the 5 May 2023.

Key Summary

To achieve a just transition to climate-positive and nature-positive farming and influence transformation of agricultural practice there is a need for a clear vision of future land use in Scotland, with geographical detail. Changes to practice should be co-created across land managers, the supply chain, consumers, and governments. A balanced mix of financial incentives and regulatory requirements should be adopted to meet nature and climate targets while supporting production. There is a need for bespoke tailored training and enhanced skills for farmers including new entrants. Advice and support offered should be relevant for each locality and farm type. Advice should be provided for free.

1. Supporting climate-positive and nature-positive production

Future Land Use

• provide a clear vision of the future of land use in Scotland. The vision should clarify the main outcomes that we want to achieve for biodiversity, agriculture, food, climate resilience and adaptation, and what best practice should look like in 20 years. To incentivise the change and reach our goals we need to communicate a clear view of what we want with geographical detail
• map the potential of land for different purposes to support decision making. Mapping should take account of potential benefits and negative impacts under consideration. Mapping the geographical variation in soils and climate across Scotland means the vision is grounded for each locality. Potential threats from rising sea levels and costal erosion should be also considered
• effective decision-making requires we identify potential trade-offs around land use and support open discussion about which are acceptable. There could be unintended consequences on rural communities through a shift in land use and we need to be aware of those. The land use vision should reflect changes over time and be adaptable and flexible
• focus land managers on achieving outcomes, for instance enhancing biodiversity (nature-positive), reducing emissions (climate-positive) or contributing to climate adaptation. A focus on actions, linked to terms such as regenerative farming, creates challenges as actions are so varied and place dependent. Confusion around terms could be a barrier to the uptake of greener / fairer methods of farming
• ensure clear communication of the vision to land managers, farmers, businesses and the public. There is current uncertainty in relation to what future requirements from agricultural systems will be. This creates a barrier to business adaptation

Changes to practice

• provide reassurance that new methods and equipment will work. Farmers are using methods and equipment that work for them, changing this will be costly. Examples from other farms where alternative equipment and methods have been used successfully or unsuccessfully will be beneficial
• so the impact on business is clear, changes should be co-designed with famers where possible to ensure feasibility and to generate increased revenue. Other desired outcomes, such as improved sustainability, should also be clear. Where interventions reduce productivity, this should be recognised
• just Transition and Climate Change Plans need to be well integrated into the rural economy to provide benefits at national, regional and local levels. Timelines as well as plans should be clearly communicated

Financial incentives

• financial incentives are vitally important in the process of adaptation. Economics are the top factor influencing change and adaptation even for those who may not be personally engaged with climate change and targets set by the Government
• a balanced mixture of regulations and incentives should be adopted to reach policy targets. There are not enough funds to pay for all changes that need to be introduced
• alternative income pathways for those affected should be clearly communicated and resourced. Land Use change may mean that some farms will have to move away from food production
• both regulations and financial incentives can be used when trying to enable change. For the process to be successful design should be easy, attractive, social and timely (EAST) as complex data and ideas are difficult to engage with and long wait times are increasing costs

Skills development

• training is required in areas such as peatland restoration, habitat creation, woodland, nature corridor construction, dyke building, and skills for managing land for nature. Training will support development of rural skills and jobs
• professional development opportunities should address requirements of Just Transition and Climate Change Plans. The workforce in the agricultural sector needs to have the opportunity to learn new skills, particularly in IT, and adapt existing ones
• the range of advice offered should reflect what is expected and required from farm managers. Specific guidance will help to deliver the outcomes. Monitor farms as well as peer to peer learning have a significant role to play when introducing change. Advice should be free

• increase in uptake of basic requirements such as animal welfare or nutrient management plans is vital. Farms which are already failing to meet basic requirements may not be able to produce food in the future if they fail farm audits
• commercial providers of technical advice and financial support must also understand targets. Banks and ease of access to financial support often acts as barrier to change or drivers for decision making. Much of the direct advice to farmers is linked to sales of equipment

Enabling adaptation

• consideration should be given to how tenants and landowners can be brought onboard with changes. Making investments is more difficult for farm tenants and those who rent land than for farm owners, due to the possibility of tenants not having their lease extended, or those that rent land not having any vested interest in its improvement
• new entrants and people already working in the farming business should be supported by the Government through appropriate policies
• the expectations on the land are increasing and there is a danger that if the asks put on land manager are too great or complex, they will disengage. The process should be made as simple as possible to understand and implement
• the approach to managing the change should be clear and transparent. It should be clearly communicated who will potentially benefit and who will be worse off after the transition to allow for appropriate planning and compensation
• engagement should target a wide range of farming businesses and take the scale of business into consideration. Small businesses may find access to advice more challenging, so process needs to be equitable
• advice should be region specific, and communication should be tailored accordingly. Generalisation of the processes required to achieve change risks making advice irrelevant and targets unachievable
• the need for change should be communicated to and recognised by the whole supply chain. Consumers should also play a role in the process

2. International perspective:

In France accreditation is required to become a farmer. This requirement was established to promote the equality of the profession and practices on farmers, fulfil the expectation for sustainable farm development and facilitate incremental changes in the practices. The environmental certification scheme was developed including all stakeholders concerned and covered four topics: biodiversity, crop protection strategy, fertilization management, and water use. The scheme was designed to be easy to understand by both farmers and consumers, and accessible to the largest number of farms. An easy to manage tiered design allowed for as many farms as possible to join the scheme and work through the steps to achieve the highest certification level. To provide range of options suitable for various farming systems performance indicators associated with each certification level were linked to practices considering diversity of practices, production systems, and geographical details. This process brought considerable progress in restoring a dialogue between farmers, food industry, retailers and NGOs. The all-stakeholder engagement proved to be paramount for achieving full recognition of the scheme and participation in it. As a result, French farmers are reported to be very interested in implementing agro-environmental indicators provided that they are linked with their practices and can help them to manage the farm on a way towards nature positive agriculture. Présentation PowerPoint (oecd.org)

In Denmark agricultural data is open to everyone. As a result, anyone can intervene if things are not done properly due to the ease of accessibility of data. Farmers can easily check how they perform against their neighbours and learn from the farms which perform better.

3. Adaptation to agricultural practice - further studies:

Identifying the drivers and constraints to adoption of IPM among arable farmers in the UK and Ireland (sruc.ac.uk)

• larger farm units and higher level of education, and better awareness of IPM are drivers of uptake. This points to more help being needed to lift small farms, and education and awareness raising as being a key factors in influencing change

Perception vs practice: Farmer attitudes towards and uptake of IPM in Scottish spring barley — University of Edinburgh Research Explorer

• farmers express willingness to do better but are uncertain about the benefits and as a result often over or underestimate the importance of different interventions

Establishing an agricultural knowledge and innovation system (climatexchange.org.uk)

• providing advice and collaborative learning opportunities through the Farm Advisory Service (FAS) is the key mechanism to deliver behaviour change in the agricultural sector. The Scottish Government is seeking to better integrate the FAS into an agricultural knowledge and innovation system (AKIS) for Scotland. AKIS is a system of innovation which links organisations, institutions, incentives, and funding. This research comprises an evidence review and options appraisal for an agricultural knowledge and innovation system (AKIS) for Scotland