Academic Advisory Panel minutes - 4 July 2025

Items and actions

FMEC recommendations for Agriculture Reform.

Introduction 

 The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced the First Minister's Environment Council (FMEC) co-chair Professor Sir Ian Boyd, and guest speaker Professor Ian Bateman (FMEC member).

FMEC recommendations for Agriculture Reform

At the FMEC meeting held in May 2025, FMEC made the following recommendations on the agricultural reform programme:

• a greater share of support payments should be targeted at smaller and most vulnerable farming communities,
• budget should be targeted towards high environmental benefit schemes,
• farmers/crofters and land managers who farm uneconomic and unproductive land should be supported to return the land to nature.

Ministers noted FMEC advice and requested further consideration of the recommendations from the Academic Advisory Panel (AAP) for the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board (ARIOB).

The Panel was asked if and how FMEC recommendations can be implemented at a Scottish level. An Advisory Note capturing key discussion points and the Panel’s recommendations will be presented to Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board (ARIOB), and subsequently published on the ARIOB website. The views expressed in the note are those of the academic panel members and do not represent the position of the Scottish Government.