But how does the Scottish Government redraft compare to the original? Are we any clearer on what farmers and crofters are expected to do to address biodiversity loss? How does the ‘final draft’ meet our asks?

In our original response to the consultation, NFU Scotland made three key policy demands. We called for food production to be at the core of policies to protect and improve our natural environment. We need cohesion and joined-up thinking between other government policies, strategies, and aims. Finally and crucially, there can be no one-size-fits-all solution to solving the nature crisis.

From our reading of the redraft, the government commits to an agricultural support framework which delivers for nature as well as high quality food production. This is key given the participation of our farming community is essential to meeting climate and biodiversity targets. But for our sector to continue to thrive, food production must be at the heart of these aims and strategies.

The redraft also acknowledges that for the strategy to work, biodiversity must be ‘mainstreamed’ across sectors and the wider policy landscape while the Scottish Government must work more strategically and at scale. Again, we believe this is vital.

In a congested policy area, we cannot have aims and targets which are contradictory and lead to unintended consequences.

However, we are disappointed that the draft strategy still does not contain clear information on what actions farmers and crofters will be expected to take to address biodiversity loss.

Delivering on biodiversity is something that farmers have done for generations. While we understand that the strategy intends to set out high level ambitions and commitments, if we are to go further, we urgently need to address the ’what’ and the ‘how.’

Biodiversity has, for generations, been addressed by farmers. The Scottish Government must give them certainty and confidence to operate at the heart of the nature loss agenda, write Sarah Cowie. PIC: CC/Flickr/Tatters.

We will continue to engage with the Scottish Government throughout 2023 as they consult on the upcoming delivery plan and Natural Environment Bill, which will set out the much-awaited details that the biodiversity strategy lacks. But we need to see progress quickly.

If the Government is serious about a twin biodiversity and climate crisis, our habitats and wildlife deserve the same attention and commitment as greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration.

In a similar vein, if farmers are to play their critical role in addressing biodiversity loss and protecting the natural environment, they need confidence, certainty, and stability from government policy to do this.

In short, the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and Natural Environment Bill will set the objectives and targets for 2030 and 2045, but it will be the Agriculture Bill and what future agricultural policies are put in place for farmers and crofters from 2025 that will do the heavy lifting. The Agriculture Bill is the real means of delivery.

Sarah Cowie is NFU Scotland’s Environmental Resources Policy Manager

Right now, there appears to be a real disconnect and lack of urgency across Scottish Government and its policy teams.

If farming and crofting are to play their critical role, then agricultural support, via the Agriculture Bill, must explicitly recognise that active farming and crofting are fundamental to farmland.

Sarah Cowie is NFU Scotland’s Environmental Resources Policy Manager

Farmers and crofters know about biodiversity - Holyrood must put them at the heart of the agenda - Sarah Cowie