Aug 30 2021
IMPORTANT ROLE FOR TENANT FARMERS IN HELPING SHAPE FUTURE POLICY
News Release
Scottish Tenant Farmers Association
26th August 2021
IMPORTANT ROLE FOR TENANT FARMERS IN HELPING SHAPE FUTURE POLICY
The Scottish Tenant Farmers Association (STFA) welcomes yesterday’s launch of the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board (ARIOB) and the publication of the Scottish Government’s consultation on “Agricultural Transition in Scotland” to deliver the Government’s commitment to build on the work of the Farmer Led Groups and other initiatives such as Farming for 1.5 Degrees.
Doug Bell, STFA’s new Managing Director commented:
“STFA is looking forward to engaging with the Scottish Government, the ARIOB and other stakeholders to represent our members and the tenanted sector in general in delivering a new future for rural Scotland.
“The transition towards a new sustainable farming policy will present the tenanted sector with some unique challenges. The consultation document acknowledges that ‘concerns were raised in the tenanted sector of land use change being potentially imposed on tenants who might not then benefit from any of the financial benefits that might be available’. However, the impacts of policy change on those renting farmland, are potentially much more wide-ranging in terms eligibility for, and access to, whatever new measures are introduced.
“STFA would have liked to have seen tenants have a stronger sectoral interest represented on the ARIOB, but welcome the diverse and wide-ranging farming, geographical and environmental experience and expertise of board members and look forward to working with them over the coming months.
“The tenanted sector encompasses nearly a quarter of Scotland’s agricultural land the role tenant farmers can play in achieving the objective of sustainable food production while addressing the climate change and bio-diversity agendas must not be under-estimated or constrained.
For further comment contact:
Doug Bell: 07803 222376
Christopher Nicholson: 01988 500423