Politics: Nurturing trust with agriculture industry is vital
Recently, I attended the National Farmers Union Scotland annual general meeting and dinner alongside fellow Rural Affairs Committee member, Jim Fairlie MSP, and our Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Mairi Gougeon.
I had a wonderful time catching up with farmers and their representatives, many of whom I have had the pleasure to get to know well over the years as a member of the Scottish Parliament’s rural affairs and islands committee.
Each and every conversation I had was constructive and attendance from and direct engagement with the Cabinet Secretary at the dinner was much appreciated from the sector.
The Scottish Government knows how vital it is to nurture the trust with our agricultural stakeholders, not least because they are the custodians of our natural heritage and the guardians of our food security.
As Jim Fairlie leaves committee to assume his role as Minister of Agriculture and Connectivity, supporting both Cabinet Secretary Mairi Gougeon and newly appointed Cabinet Secretary Fiona Hyslop, I wish him all the best and have every confidence that he will take the great work we have done scrutinising the Scottish Government as members of the rural affairs and islands committee with him.
The legislative agenda this year has an acute focus on rural affairs with both the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill and the Agriculture (Scotland) Bill making their way through the Parliament.
The latter bill, in particular, was widely discussed at the NFUS AGM and dinner and I was glad to see such a positive response from farmers.
I know that there have been calls from certain quarters for more detail on the face of the bill, but I think the Scottish Government have listened to the sector. They have understood the need for flexibility, particularly at a time fraught with unpredictability.
All in all, I think the bill strikes the right balance between supporting our farmers and providing the framework we need to tackle the climate crisis and the impact it has on our agricultural sector and our natural heritage.
As the bill makes its way through the Scottish Parliament, I have no doubt that the rural affairs and islands committee will continue to scrutinise the legislation and ensure that the bill addresses the needs and concerns of farmers the length and breadth of Scotland.
During my time on the committee, it has been absolutely fascinating to visit a wide variety of farms, from intensive dairy farms to smaller bespoke outfits.
These visits are vital to our work to best understand and represent the essential workers who are our farmers and, on a personal level, they have helped me to better understand what I consume and where I purchase it.
My work on the rural affairs and islands committee has also inspired me to ensure that an understanding of food is at the heart of education.
Our children should and must understand where our food comes from, they should learn how it is cultivated and produced.
And they should be curious about the concerns and challenges surrounding food on its journey from farm to plate.
I was grateful, at the NFUS dinner, to be able to discus this with a representative from the Royal Highland Education Trust.
The work they do to bring farming and the working countryside and its practices to life for young people is not only admirable, it’s crucial.
With more than 28,000 classroom talks delivered to schoolchildren, and having arranged for 16,400 school children to attend farm visits and farm visit events, they are helping our children understand where their food comes from and are nurturing a passion about our Scottish countryside.
It’s not just stakeholders and school-children we need to be engaging with on food though. That’s why I am encouraging all to engage with the consultation on the Scottish Government’s Good Food Nation Plan, which aims to ensure everyone in Scotland can access nutritious, sustainable food.
Visit consult.gov.scot/agriculture-and-rural-economy/national-good-food-nation-plan to respond to the consultation.
