Our policy work
Scotland's transition to agroecology and sustainable diets
In Scotland we face a climate emergency, biodiversity crash, and dietary health crisis. Soil Association Scotland works to make the connection between crises, and to provide the joined-up solutions in policy and practice that are urgently needed.
Sustainable food, farming and land use is a vital part of the solution. Transitioning to farming methods that support nature means that Scotland’s rural businesses could continue to produce the high-quality food that our farmers are known for, whilst helping restore the nation’s climate, nature and health. Meanwhile, the public sector can and should be leading the way as a beacon of healthy, sustainable food.
We need to make sure that a post-Covid green recovery in Scotland builds on the shoots of sustainable supply chains, including farmers being to supply Scottish customers more directly.
In this section, you can read more about our priorities for Scottish Government to support Scotland’s transition to nature- and climate-friendly farming and normalise healthy and sustainable diets. The opportunity is huge; but the next ten years are crucial. We must act now to secure Scotland’s future.
The evidence for agroecology and sustainable diets
The French thinktank IDDRI’s Ten Years for Agroecology (TYFA) modelling shows we can feed a growing European population using agroecological methods, as long as we also transition to sustainable diets.
What’s more, we know that this is something that people want to see. A Scottish Government study of public attitudes in 2019 identified environmental protection, high animal welfare, healthy food, and financial support linked to environmental outcomes as top priorities.
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Scottish policy blogs
Monthly blogs covering developments in food, farming and land use policy in Scotland
