Scotland extends organic management and conversion support
© Tim Scrivener Scotland’s Agri-Environment Climate Scheme will reopen in 2022 with the aim of helping to double the area of land under organic management.
Farmers, crofters and land managers will be able to apply for support for conversion to and maintenance of organic land, as Scottish ministers have also agreed to deliver future rounds of the fund up to and including 2024.
The organic conversion initiative is part of a wider campaign to prioritise local and organic produce in public sector menus as part of Scotland’s green recovery.
See also: How Scottish organic osr growers delivered yields up to 3.1t-ha
It will run alongside a range of other measures aimed at promoting low carbon farming and protecting the environment.
Rural affairs secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “We want Scotland to be a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture. As part of that, we are committed to supporting farmers, crofters, and land managers to support and deliver nature restoration.
“We have already invested £213m in the scheme and we are committed to not only delivering a full round in 2022, but to extending the scheme right up to the end of the period of stability.”