NFU Scotland president, Martin Kennedy, who retires from office in February 2025, used his final Autumn conference address to call for fair compensation for Scottish farmers and crofter’s green credentials.
Kennedy was addressing a full house of delegates at the conference held in the Royal Highland Showground’s pavilion, near Edinburgh, earlier today (Thursday, October 24), which placed a focus on profit maximisation by encouraging its members to amplify their environmental credentials.
In calling for the due recognition for its members contribution to the renowned reputation Scottish food and drink has gained on an international stage, Kennedy said the organisation can no longer sit back and watch others take the credit unjustifiably.
He called out businesses “with no scruples”, employing green washing tactics which he believes, detracts from farmer’s carbon credits and does little to mitigate their own environmental failings.
He said that farmers and crofters must protect their eco credentials which are inherent and already found in abundance within the traditional practices employed on the land.
He also speaks out against rewilding practicess which are “driven by so called environmentalists [who] are forced to sell land to pay off debts accrued by purchasing other land for rewilding, using taxpayers’ money.”
“Some rewilding projects are driven by those who have little or no business sense whatsoever; have no appreciation of the unintended consequences that their projects create further down the track and do not understand what makes rural and remote communities thrive.
Kennedy claimed, that minor improvements to existing farming and crofting practices would see far more environmental benefits than any rewilding initiative, which, in his view, “simply depopulates vast areas of land”.
“All these projects will achieve is the creation of vast landscapes at huge risk of wildfire; the elimination of our rural communities and along with it our ability to produce food and drive a profitable return on investment,” he added.
“Not everything that we’re doing as farmers and crofters is perfect, far from it.
“But we must take every opportunity available to not only make changes that will make a difference to all our futures, through the likes of carbon audits and soil testing, but also applaud and reward a lot of current good practice that doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.
“Provided our future policy focus continues in the right direction, with food production at its heart, which is backed by a robust funding package from next week’s UK Government budget, then we can deliver on the many asks that society has of Scottish farming and crofting today,” Kennedy asserted.
