Around 400 Scottish farmers and crofters gathered outside the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood, Edinburgh, today (Wednesday, November 2) to deliver their message that ‘food needs a farmer’.
The rally, which was organised by the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) Scotland, aimed to promote farming, crofting and food production as the central pillar of Scottish agricultural policy.
Some politicians accepted invitations to the rally, including Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs Mairi Gougeon; Scottish Conservative Party leader Douglas Ross; Scottish Labour Party’s Colin Smyth MSP; Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP; Green MSP Ariane Burgess; Rural Affairs Committee chair Finlay Carson MSP; and farmer and SNP MSP Jim Fairlie.
More than 40 MSPs left the parliament building to meet with their constituents.
The rally was staged to coincide with Scotland’s farmers and crofters being consulted by Scottish government on a future agricultural policy for the nation.
Speaking after the event, NFU Scotland President, Martin Kennedy said:
“Farmers and crofters have delivered a clear message that any new policy created by the proposed new Agriculture Bill must put food production front and centre when it comes to delivering all the economic, social, and environmental benefits that all agricultural businesses will be asked to provide.
“At a UK level, we have taken our eye off the ball on energy and look at the mess we have got ourselves into.
“We cannot repeat that same mistake with food or the food and cost of living crisis we are all currently enduring will simply get worse. Food security is now a global issue, and we have a moral obligation to produce it.”
Kennedy thanks the politicians who joined the rally and urged them to take the message on board.
“We call on them to acknowledge that active farming and crofting have the answers when it comes to putting high quality, local, sustainable, and affordable food on the table and at the same time delivering for the nation on climate change and biodiversity,” he said.
“It is within their gift to deliver a future agricultural policy for Scotland that supports active farming and crofting.
“That will build our communities and keep the lights on in rural villages and areas.”
