The workshop focuses on the effects of Brexit on the Agriculture and Food Sector in Scotland and marks the 11th event in a series under the RSE’s Scotland – Europe Initiative, in partnership with the University of Edinburgh's Europa Institute.

Details

Agriculture is a devolved competence and post-Brexit the Scottish Government (SG) chose to make its own arrangements for replacing support payments to farmers which were previously governed through the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill was introduced to the Scottish Parliament on 28 September 2023. The Bill commits SG to consult on the nature of the support, the purposes of which are

1. the adoption and use of sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices,
2. the production of high-quality food,
3. the facilitation of on-farm nature restoration, climate mitigation and adaptation, and
4. enabling rural communities to thrive. Delivery will be achieved though development of a “Rural Support plan”.

Some questions for discussion in the workshop are:

1. what lessons can Scotland learn from the challenges experienced in Europe when trying to implement the European Farm to Fork Strategy? The EC committed to proposing a framework legislation on sustainable food systems to support its implementation by the end of 2023.
2. Given the diversity of farming systems and rural contexts in Scotland, and SG’s commitment to a Just Transition, which key principles should be embedded in the development of the rural support plan, while avoiding over-complexity of delivery?
3. The first draft Bill refers to the production of “high quality food”. How should “high quality” be defined and should nutritional value feature in that?

Chair: Prof Maggie Gill, Emeritus Professor, University of Aberdeen

Speakers:

• Professor Alan Matthews, Professor Emeritus of European Agricultural Policy at Trinity College Dublin, an expert on the CAP and a former President of the European Association of Agriculture Economics;
• Dr Jesus Anton, head of the productivity, resilience and sustainability unit at the OECD think tank's trade and agriculture directorate;
• Professor Colin Campbell, chief executive of the James Hutton Institute and an expert on soil microbiology and the environment;
• Professor Jennie Macdiarmid, Director of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Health, Wellbeing, and Nutrition at the University of Aberdeen.

Speakers will provide short (10 minute) introductions to each of these questions, to be followed by an open discussion chaired by Professor Maggie Gill, FRSE.

SEFARI (Gateway) are co-hosting the event.

• In person registration (The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH): https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/scotland-europe-initiative-workshop-agriculturein-person-tickets-808956890837
• Online registration: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/scotland-europe-initiative-workshop-agricultureonline-tickets-809078053237