Tuesday 11 February 2020

Scotland announces £40m fund to help farmers become greener

The Scottish Government has announced an initial funding of £40 million to support farming’s contribution towards meeting Scotland’s climate change ambitions.

The Agricultural Transformational Programme aims to support the industry in reducing greenhouse gas emissions as well as sustainable farming and land use.

It also seeks to help improve the environmental sustainability of the sector by protecting and restoring natural habitats and building sustainability through business practices that encourage productivity, innovation and inclusion.

Scottish Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said: “Scotland’s land and the manner in which we use and manage it must adapt and change if we are to meet our ambitious net zero targets.

“The main focus of this programme is to offer practical and effective ways to enable farmers, crofters and land managers to make changes to their business so they drive forward the transition to a low carbon future, delivering a sustainable, productive and profitable agricultural sector.

“While we will set out the detail of how the fund will operate in due course, our Programme for Government has already set out our steps in response to the climate emergency, including significantly increasing tree planting levels, restoring peatland and promoting low carbon agricultural practices, including organic practices. This programme will build upon these foundations to position the sector to take advantage of the green economy.”

Full details of the programme will be published at a later date.