Publication - Research and analysis
Arable Farmer-led Group: climate change evidence
A summary of existing evidence around the arable sector, including greenhouse gas emissions produced by the Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services (RESAS) division.
Annex E – Productivity Measures – long list
| Measure | Logic behind intervention | Potential barriers | Feasibility in Scotland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farm advisory service | Studies have found high rates of return on public investment in applied advice. | Existing in the SRDP - could be extended | |
| Farmer discussion groups | Studies have found high rates of return on public investment in applied advice. | Lack of strong evidence; depends on method and context. | Can be encouraged |
| Support for farmer learning | Support for new entrants and for continued professional development likely to increase adoption of new technologies and management practices. | Low turnover in farming. | Can be implemented |
| Agriculture education | Apprenticeships, college and university courses have improved the level of specialist knowledge among farmers in other countries. | Low turnover in farming. | Can be implemented |
| Required qualifications | Some countries have created "license to farm" to ensure continuous improvement of current farming systems, including environmental goals. | May be politically unpopular. | Can be implemented |
| Support for Research and Development | Research suggests that reduction of government support for R&D in the 1980s had a negative impact on productivity. | Must be strategic, targeted, and adopted by farmers. | Can be implemented |
| Demonstration farms | Some evidence to support that farmers who attend improve practice on their own farms. | Unclear how it would impact farmers at scale. | Relatively untested |
| Smart farms | Have been used in Australia to implement cutting edge technologies. | Potential high costs. | None existing in Scotland |
| Monitor farms | Evaluation suggests the model has been effective in improving farming performance and enterprise among active participants. | Potential high costs. | Existing - could be extended |
| Measure | Logic behind intervention | Potential barriers | Feasibility in Scotland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reduction in direct support | Most studies find a negative relationship between subsidies and productivity. May lead to significant restructuring in agriculture, particularly for smaller/more vulnerable farms. |
Likely to have negative political impacts; may lead to further "middling out". | Can be implemented; may not be feasible due to Scottish agricultural context |
| Capital grants or loans | Studies find both positive and negative impacts on productivity: increased ability to innovate/develop business; low risk and potential crowding out. Loans may be more effective due to requirement to pay back. | May not be WTO eligible; may lead to overcapitalisation. | Can be implemented; limited by WTO rules |
| Support for new entrants | Younger entrants may have more innovative approaches to business, and may have stronger ICT and business planning skills. | Lack of retirement housing; lack of long leases for farmland. | Existing in the SRDP - could be extended |
| Support for exit | There are barriers to succession, meaning less productive management can continue longer than in other industries. | Lack of retirement housing; lack of business planning and succession. | Can be implemented |
| Changing tax incentives | Evidence from Ireland suggests that tax incentives for longer tenancies on agricultural land may increase productivity. | Potential high costs, both financial and administrative. | Can be implemented |
| Measure | Logic behind intervention | Potential barriers | Feasibility in Scotland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precision Agricultural Techniques | Evidence suggests some PATs can reduce fuel use and management time; there is a training requirement for farmers. | High initial costs; high training requirement; lack of take-up by farmers. | Needs wider adoption |
| Nutrient management and soil nutrient mapping | Promising in increasing yield and additional benefits in managing GHG emissions | Lack of take-up by farmers. | Needs wider adoption |
| Improved soil management | For example, nutrient management and mapping; reduced cultivations to increase soil quality. | Lack of take-up by farmers. | Needs wider adoption |
| Robotic Milkers | More effective for larger herds and potential for growth; there is a training requirement. | Lack of take-up by farmers. | Can be encouraged |
| EID | Appears to give significant savings in labour use. | High initial costs; lack of take-up by farmers. | Needs wider adoption |
| EBVs; pedigree recording | Studies suggest EBVs can increase profitability of livestock farms. | High initial costs; lack of take-up by farmers. | Needs wider adoption |
| Changing cereal yields and varietal uptake | Improved crop yields have not been consistent across Scottish farms; it is not clear why this is so. | Lack of take-up by farmers. | Further research required |
| Measure | Logic behind intervention | Potential barriers | Feasibility in Scotland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precision livestock farming | Targeted precision livestock farming has potential to increase net margins per animal. | High initial costs; lack of take-up by farmers. | Needs wider adoption |
| Changing business size | Large farms tend to be more efficient and better adopters of new technology. | Politically unpopular "middling out" | Can be encouraged |
| Collaborative farming agreements | May be of particular benefit to new entrants, through increased availability of land. | Existing - could be extended | |
| Disease control and eradication | Reduces loss and improves productivity. | Existing - could be extended | |
| Risk management | Investment in productivity should be accompanied by steps to manage and reduce risk. | Could reduce incentive to innovate. | Can be implemented |
| Changing the input-output mix | Switching from specialised farms to more mixed operations may offer opportunities for recycling of inputs, and best use of land. | High training requirement for farmers. | Can be encouraged |
| Widen the range of planted crops | A wider range of crops could diffuse the intensity of work and machinery requirements over the course of the year. | High training requirement for farmers. | Further research required |
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