SOPA Meeting with Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Tourism, Ms Mairi Gougeon - 26th January 2023

The meeting was very open and offered many opportunities to discuss the organic sector and SOPA members.

Organic farming is the natural progression for farmers interested in Regenerative Agriculture, and offers legal, robust and impartial accreditation to legally defined standards. The key tenets of animal welfare, soil health and biodiversity are trusted by organic shoppers, who know that organic farming is the original green food label.

We also discussed the recent AECS successes, and some of the anomalies that have arisen very quickly with the announcement of the lifting of the area limits.  We thanked Ms Gougeon for her support for organic applications, and how this makes a real difference for farmers wishing to convert.

The conversation also touched on Next Generation farmers and supporting young people in their farming ambitions.  There are lots of innovative and enterprising young farmers keen to engage with sustainable, more natural farming methods and they are interested in organic farming. We expressed our concerns that the advice network is somewhat lacking in organic expertise. SOPA provides free advice to potential members, and we would like to build on this to reach more enthusiastic people.

SOPA Chair Roger Baird also discussed our interest innutrition and healthy foods. Red meat, produced organically, is a vital component of healthy diets and livestock are essential, bringing huge benefits to soil and microbiology in a well-managed farming system.  The growing package of evidence on the dangers of glyphosate used in non-organic farms is a warning sign for the future of chemical-based farming systems.

Given the global pressures on industrialised farming methods and the rising cost of fertiliser inputs, organic farming ticks many boxes and has a very exciting future.  With the demonstrable Scottish Government support, we are excited about the future of organic food and farming.

‍