Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board: terms of reference

Purpose and scope

This Government was elected on a manifesto committed to supporting farmers to meet more of our own food needs sustainably and to farm and croft with nature, including through enhanced animal welfare and health approaches and better adoption and deployment of technology and innovation, as recommended by the work of farmer-led groups. A single implementation board with representation from key farming sectors and types was established to drive this work forward – the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board (ARIOB).

The Scottish Government’s Vision for Agriculture outlines our aim to transform how we support farming and food production in Scotland to become a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture. This commitment sits at the heart of a robust and coherent framework to underpin Scotland’s future agriculture support regime from 2025 onwards.

The Scottish Government is committed to a service design approach to policy making, involving user-centred co-development, working jointly with farmers and crofters to develop future policy.

Building on the work of the farmer-led groups, the board will assist the Scottish Government by providing advice on how it can deliver the vision to support agriculture in becoming more economically and environmentally sustainable. 

The Scottish Government is committed to take early action on nature restoration and on implementing measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture to address the twin crises of climate and nature/loss of biodiversity. The board will assist in the development of a package of funded measures, based on the work of the farmer-led groups, that will work across the generality of Scottish agriculture. 

The board will contribute to Scottish Government’s work to implement policy reform, incorporating the relevant recommendations of the farmer-led groups, to cut emissions across agriculture, support the production of sustainable, high quality food, and help design a new support system and approach through a Just Transition to net zero. The board will also consider how we use our land and the role that agriculture can play in restoring biodiversity and improving ecosystems. 

From time to time the ARIOB may be asked to note and discuss wider topics connected to the scope of their work to ensure that they are sighted on the breadth of issues which Scottish ministers are required to give regard to, and which may have a bearing on ministers’ decisions on future rural policy development and implementation. 

The board’s secretariat will maintain a workplan which will act as a ‘live’ document to provide structure to discussions but with scope for amendments and additions by co-chairs, members and officials alike. The workplan is aligned to intended outcomes and timescales as published in the Agricultural Reform Route Map.

Communication and outputs

All papers will be placed in the dedicated ARIOB knowledge hub. Prior to each meeting, members will receive an email which includes the agenda and papers for the forthcoming meeting as attachments.

In the interests of transparency, minutes of the board will be documented and placed in the ARIOB knowledge hub for member access, and anonymised minutes of meetings will be placed in the public domain via the ARIOB webpage on the Scottish Government website.  

Membership

Membership of the board comprises a balance of farming, crofting, geographical and environmental interests. Members have been appointed to provide the necessary breadth of expertise and knowledge required to take this work forward. The membership will be reviewed by the Cabinet Secretary as needed to ensure it continues to reflect this balance.

Confirmed board members are set out in the annex to these terms of reference. 

Governance and accountability

The board is co-chaired by Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, and Martin Kennedy, President of the National Farmers Union Scotland (NFUS). Jim Fairlie, the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity also has a standing invitation.

Any recommendations to the Scottish Government will be, as far as possible, by a consensus agreement, failing which the board should indicate that consensus was not possible and provide options for consideration. Any decisions taken or actions arising will be documented in the published minutes.

The final decision in all matters rest with the Cabinet Secretary. 

A register of member interests will be held by the board secretariat in order to maintain transparency.

Quorum

The minimum number of attendees required at each board meeting in order to properly execute its business shall be 12.

Terms of engagement

Each member of the board will bring their own experience to discussions, taking a holistic approach. It is expected that all members will be mindful of the different approaches each member may have, listen carefully to understand, and be tolerant of different views and perspectives, even if they do not agree with them. It is expected that members will treat each other, and officials providing support to the board, with respect, courtesy and dignity at all times.

Discussions will be held under the Chatham House Rule, which allows for members, when outwith the board, to reference information from discussions within board meetings, without identifying the member(s) who made any particular comment. The minutes are drafted to reflect this.  

Any suggested items for future discussion, or proposals (sub-groups, for example) must be raised in a way that allows all board members have the opportunity to comment. Members may therefore raise as any other business (AOB) during meetings, or ask secretariat via email to circulate the proposed topic for consensus. The secretariat will maintain a workplan and will liaise with the Agricultural Reform Programme Board and SG officials to ensure that these items are scheduled and relevant papers are commissioned. 

An actions log will be maintained and updates provided to the board ahead of each meeting.  

Meetings shall be used to allow substantive discussion of issues; the board shall receive papers prior to the meeting to frame the discussion and the key points on which ARIOB advice is sought.

Virtual meetings shall be used to allow the board to hear updates or information about specific topics that may be better suited to this format. 

Apologies must be notified to the secretariat in advance of each meeting.

Remuneration

Membership of the board is on a voluntary basis. Members will not receive any remuneration for participation, but are eligible to be reimbursed for any reasonable out of pocket expenses incurred to allow their participation in board functions, such as travel to in-person board meetings.

Timescales, frequency and location of meetings

The board’s terms of reference and membership will be reviewed as necessary to ensure that it remains fit for purpose.  

The board has agreed to meet quarterly with additional, interim meetings held on specific topics where necessary. 

Support to the board

The board will be supported by the expanded Scottish Government Academic Advisory Panel (AAP) that will supply robust evidence to help its progress and ensure that the board’s advice is based on the best available science, knowledge and expertise and evidence that exists in a rapidly growing evidence base. The board will also have access to analytical support via the Scottish Government’s Rural and Environmental Science and Analytical Services (RESAS) which provides analytical and scientific support to help improve rural and environmental policy.

To further aid in co-designing the Agricultural Reform Programme, the ARIOB will commission the AAP to undertake such work as is deemed necessary to assist the ARIOB in making its recommendations to government. AAP will provide feedback to the ARIOB at dates agreed by AAP at confirmation of it undertaking such commissions and has a standing item at each meeting.

The board’s membership is supplemented by a Policy Development Group (PDG) which is a working group comprising external stakeholders, who look at the detail and mechanisms of proposed changes to agricultural policy. The PDG and representatives from the AAP will be invited to attend all ARIOB meetings to further establish collaboration and transparency with the various groups.

The board will also be supported by a Scottish Government civil service secretariat who will manage the flow of information to and from the board, and who will respond to stakeholder queries and provide updates to stakeholders as required. They will also arrange meetings of the board and will issue an agenda and papers a minimum of five working days in advance of board meetings. They will also be responsible for processing of any expenses claims and other administrative duties. 

In collaboration with the AAP, the policy development and scheme design work underpinning the work of the board will be supported by Scottish Government policy, rural payments and inspections and information systems teams working jointly within a managed programme of work that will report on progress to the board. These teams will draw on expertise from other areas within the Scottish Government and organisations within the sector as the work develops. This managed process of policy and delivery design and planning linked to the engagement with users will ensure the final outcome meets the needs of the sector and delivers on Government’s Vision for Agriculture. SG officials attending in-person meetings are invited subject to the agenda and limited to those with a presenting role.

Constraints

The Scottish Government has set out a number of policy objectives. Nevertheless, it is required to comply with certain statutory legal obligations which apply to the work the board is to undertake, including but not limited to continued EU alignment. These obligations must be borne in mind by the board when making recommendations to the Scottish Government. The board has been made aware of this position.

This document will be updated as required going forward.

Board membership including APDG members

• Adele Jones
• Andrew Moir
• Andy McGowan
• Anne Rae Macdonald
• Claire Simonetta
• Donald MacKinnon
• Gordon Caldwell
• Ian Davidson
• Jonathan Hall
• Kate Rowell
• Lucy McGillivray
• Marion MacCormick
• Mark Reed
• Martin Kennedy
• Mike Robinson
• Nikki Yoxall
• Pete Ritchie
• Sarah Simpson
• Scott Henderson
• Steven Thompson
• Tim Bailey
• Vicki Swales