Finding signs for optimism in 2025

2025 has started with devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, a returning President Trump pulling the US out of international climate accords and, closer to home, flooded fields from more extreme weather and ongoing farmer protests over Labour’s ‘family farm tax’.

All of this can feel quite overwhelming, and maintaining a sense of optimism about the future can be a challenge.

So, for this month’s policy blog, I’m going to try and demonstrate some reasons for positivity in this early part of the New Year.

Harnessing the energy from the Oxford conferences

For a few days at the beginning of the month, Oxford played host to twin conferences – the Oxford Farming Conference and the Oxford Real Farming Conference. Thousands of people involved in our food system – from farmers, growers and crofters to government ministers and industry representatives – gathered to share and debate ideas.

The few days I spent there filled me with a sense of shared purpose that a fair, sustainable food system is within reach – and that there are already so many people doing amazing things to produce high quality food while improving the natural environment and adapting to a changing climate.

I was fortunate to chair a session titled ‘Systems Thinking – exploring the benefits and barriers to whole farm approaches’ – featuring producers from Scotland, England and Wales as well as Soil Association’s policy officer Hannah Blitzer. The discussion highlighted a lowland egg and arable unit, an upland organic sheep farm and a biodynamic farm growing fruit, vegetables and cut flowers. All three demonstrated a path to more economically and environmentally resilient food production.

I also introduced a policy session titled ‘Agroecology across the four nations – unity and divergence in approaches’, which featured senior civil servants from the Scottish and Welsh governments alongside NGO representatives from England and Northern Ireland. Again, the focus was very much on what can be done and how government can best support the transition to more agroecological food production.

You can catch up on the programme here and see why the long train journey home was made considerably easier due to the energising nature of the debates.

WWF Scotland and Natwest Group on financing the transition

The next event on a busy January calendar was a breakfast roundtable hosted by WWF Scotland and Natwest Group at RBS in Edinburgh to mark the launch of a new report ‘A roadmap to financing a transition to regenerative agriculture in Scotland’.

The report focuses on actions for the Scottish Government, parliament, and financial institutions, while recognising the role of other food system actors, such as retailers and food processors.

The goal is to mobilise public and private finance to ensure farmers and crofters receive the support they need at each stage of their journey to climate and nature-friendly farming, while being rewarded for tackling climate change and restoring nature.

It was clear from the discussion that financial institutions are stepping up to the plate to consider some flexibility in lending as well as the provision of advice to help mitigate the risk and support farmers and crofters are facing in these challenging economic times.

Wild venison on the menu at schools in Argyll and Bute

A great news story, featured in national outlets such as The Herald and The Times, showcased the ‘UK first’ collaboration between Argyll and Bute Council, Wild Jura and Soil Association Scotland.

Recognising the high demand for local venison, Cath and Andy McCallum established a new business, Wild Jura, to source and process wild venison from Ardlussa, Barnhill, Tarbert and Ruantallain Estates.

The council worked with Soil Association Scotland’s supply chain development lead and the wider Food for Life team to develop recipes that comply with the nutritional requirements for food and drink in schools and Food for Life Served Here standards.

After a tasting session, the pupils gave the thumbs up to venison meatballs and burgers, which are now on the menu in Jura and Islay Primary Schools and Islay High School.

This initiative ticks a range of boxes including on health - providing high protein, low fat and nutrient dense food; on sustainability – sourcing wild meat, processed locally with a benefit to the environment; and supporting rural business – providing a local supplier with a route to market through public procurement.

Helping farmers and crofters with new requirements on payments

This year, there are changes coming to the conditions on basic payments for farmers and crofters across Scotland.

The new requirements include soil analysis, carbon auditing, biodiversity mapping, animal health and welfare plans and integrated pest management plans. Each recipient of farm support will have to prove they have completed two of the five plans/audits from to continue to qualify for the basic payment scheme.

To provide support and guidance along this road, Soil Association Scotland received grant funding through the Scottish Government’s Knowledge Transfer Innovation Fund (KTIF) for a new programme titled ‘Planning for Change: A Whole Farm Approach’.
The project is also exploring how the whole farm planning framework can be used to transition towards more regenerative and agroecological approaches, supporting uptake and implementation.

A series of free-to-attend in-person events and webinars have been arranged, while case studies and other useful resources are being produced to illustrate how whole farm plans work, the individual elements that are used to inform the plan, and how a plan can be used to set and act on sustainability objectives.

And there’s so much more to come

This is just a snapshot of the work that is going on across the country in the sustainable food and farming space. In one month, these small steps have given me hope that progress is not only possible but already happening all around us.

Attention will now turn to the Scottish Government budget process, with a clearer picture due to emerge later in February of the funding envelopes for agriculture, food, forestry and other support measures for the rural economy.