Leading green groups quit Scottish farm policy boards

Scottish Environment Link and RSPB Scotland have resigned from two key government farming policy groups, citing “failures in both the policy development process and the decisions being made”.

The organisations sent a letter to Scotland’s first minister John Swinney this week, stepping down from the Agricultural Reform Implementation Oversight Board (ARIOB) and the Policy Development Group (PDG) with immediate effect.

The letter to Mr Swinney, copied to rural affairs cabinet secretary Mairi Gougeon and agriculture minister Jim Fairlie, urges the Scottish government to “draw a line under this failed process” and start again with the next government following elections in May.

See also: NFU Scotland pushes for £90m farm funding uplift

The move marks a strong condemnation of the SNP-ruled Scottish government’s handling of post-CAP agricultural reform, which aims to replace EU-era farm support schemes with a new framework intended to reward environmental action.

Despite four years of engagement, the groups say progress has been too slow and insufficient to address climate change and nature loss.

“The government committed to take early action to restore nature and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” the groups say, “but there is little sign of this being prioritised”.

The E-NGOs highlight structural issues in the boards’ operations, including a lack of transparency, shifting goalposts, and decisions appearing to ignore evidence from both the supporting academic advisory panel and government analysis.

Early policy choices, such as retaining most direct payments while adding conditionality, have reinforced existing funding patterns, with larger farms continuing to capture most resources, they claim.

The groups have called for a major reset and more ambitious action in future policy, including:

• Reduce Tier 1 direct payments, focusing support on smaller farms, crofts, and producers with greatest need

• Introduce a fully funded Tier 2 enhanced scheme offering all farmers and crofters options to take nature- and climate-positive action

• Expand Tier 3 agri-environment-climate measures and establish a collaborative fund for landscape-scale projects and shorter supply chains

• Multi-year, ring-fenced funding, with at least 75% directed to Tiers 2-4 to incentivise environmental and climate action

• Boost advisory services, training, and knowledge transfer to improve farm profitability and environmental outcomes.

While stepping back, the E-NGOs stressed they remain committed to constructive engagement with Scottish government and parliament on future farming policy.

NFUS reiterates commitment

NFU Scotland (NFUS) told Farmers Weekly it did not wish to comment specifically on the resignations.

However, NFUS director of policy Jonnie Hall acknowledged that the pace of agricultural reform has “undoubtedly been slow”, to ensure a just transition that avoided a “cliff-edge scenario” for farmers and crofters.

Mr Hall said NFUS “remains committed to working constructively with government and other stakeholders, through ARIOB and beyond, to shape a support framework that works in practice”.

Government defends actions

Scotland’s rural affairs cabinet secretary Mairi Gougeon said the Scottish government remains fully committed to supporting farmers and crofters in delivering resilient food, climate, and nature outcomes as part of the agricultural transition.

“Through the agri-environment climate scheme, to date a total of £339m has been committed to 3,417 businesses to fund a range of activities that help to maintain and enhance our rich and varied natural environment, of which around £41m has supported more than 700 organics contracts,” she said.

“We are also investing in woodland creation and supporting the restoration of peatland.

“Next year, thousands more farmers and crofters will need to manage ecological focus areas, helping make sure more land is farmed in a way that protects nature and is good for the climate, while still supporting sustainable production.”