Today members of Scottish Environment LINK’s Farm for Scotland’s Future campaign presented Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, with a petition calling for a new farm funding system that works for nature, climate, and people.
The petition, signed by more than 2,600 people, calls on the Scottish government to use the forthcoming agriculture bill to ensure that at least three quarters of public spending on farming supports methods that restore nature and tackle climate change. It also calls on the government to support all farmers and crofters in the transition to sustainable farming.
Current methods make farming one of the top three sources of greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland and a major cause of wildlife loss.
More than half of those who signed the petition wrote personal messages to the Cabinet Secretary, explaining why the future of Scotland’s farming matters to them. The messages came from a spectrum of people including farmers and crofters, young people, and grandparents concerned about the legacy being left for future generations. Many describe the loss of nature they have witnessed in their own lifetimes.
The Farm for Scotland’s Future campaign was launched last June by a coalition of environment charities and farmers’ groups.
Click on the image below to read a selection of people’s messages about why they care about the future of Scotland’s farming.
