Farming subsidies have role to play in climate fight but Scottish Government must work hard to bring farmers with them – Scotsman comment

According to a Scottish Government report published in March, the profit made by the average farm – not including subsidies – was just £5,100 in 2021-22. And this was after a significant increase; in fact, the report noted this was “the first time in at least ten years” that the average farm had actually made money without a subsidy.

For years, many farmers have effectively been paid by the state to produce food at cost price or below for sale in supermarkets that, coincidentally, make profits running into hundreds of millions of pounds. While some farmers can make a lot of money – average dairy farm income was estimated at £162,100 in 2021-22, including state support – the average hill farmer raising sheep made just £11,000, all in.

So it is with this context in mind that we should consider farming subsidies and the vital task of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, which must fall by 31 per cent by 2032 to stay on target.

Today, the Scottish Government will announce new conditions in order to receive subsidies, including carbon audits and peatland protection work. As the process continues, the ‘top down’ approach adopted over, for example, the deposit return scheme and highly protected marine areas, must be avoided with the ministers and officials working closely with farmers.

It may at times require tough talking, but the unfolding routemap must keep on a path that, at the very least, everyone can live with and which achieves the required emissions cuts. Many farmers are already on board; it is of the utmost importance to the success of Scotland’s drive towards net-zero that the government acts in a way that increases their number, rather than driving people away.

The green farming revolution must be built, almost literally, from the grassroots up.