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Publication - Impact assessment

Agricultural reform: environmental report - strategic environmental assessment

Published
12 November 2025
Directorate
Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic
Farming and rural
ISBN
9781806432509

We are reforming agricultural support. This strategic environmental assessment (SEA) environmental report, required under the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005, highlights the positive environmental impacts of proposed changes to farming and food production.

View supporting documents Supporting documents

Appendix E Overview of assessment scores

E.1 Table E.1 overleaf provides an overview of assessment findings.

Table E.1: Overview of effects
1: Biodiversity, flora and fauna 2: Population and human health 3a: Climate change mitigation 3b: Climate change adaptation 4: Air 5: Soil 6: Water 7: Cultural heritage including architectural and archaeological heritage 8: Landscape, seascape and townscape 9: Material assets
Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act
Act Objectives and Agricultural Reform Outcomes ++? ++? ++? ++? +? ++? +? 0? +? +?
Tier 1
Whole Farm Plan
Whole Farm Plan - Previous policy actions (prior to 2025) +? + +? +? 0 + + +? + +
Whole Farm Plan - New policy actions (from 1 January 2025) ++/-? + + + + ++ + +? + +
New calving interval for the Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme
Previous policy actions (prior to 2025) +/- + -- 0 - +/- +/- +/-? + -
Future Policy Actions (from 1 January 2025) +/-? + -- 0 -? +/- -? -? +/-? +/-?
New protections for peatlands and wetlands cross-compliance
Previous policy actions (prior to 2025) ++/- + ++/- + + + + + +/- 0
New policy actions (from 2025) ++/- + ++/- ++ + ++ ++ + +/- 0
Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme
Continued policy actions +/- + + -? - +/- -? + +/- 0
Tier 2
EFA changes
Current policy actions (prior to 2026) ++ 0 + + + + + 0 + +/-
Future policy actions (from 2026) ++/-? 0 + + + + + + + +/-?
Progress from 5% EFA to 7% EFA
Current policy actions (5% EFA Requirement - 2025) ++ 0 + + + + + + + +/-
Future policy actions (7% EFA Requirement - 2027) ++ 0 + + + + + + + +/-
Permanent grassland mandatory requirements
Current policy actions (2025) ++ + + + 0 + + + + 0
Future policy actions (2027) ++? +? ++? +? +? ++? ++? +? +? +?
Less Favoured Areas Support Scheme
Continued policy actions +/-? + 0 0 0 +/- +/- +? + 0
Tier 3
Improvements to the existing AECS
Previous policy actions (prior to 2025) ++ + ++ ++ + ++ ++ + + +
Future policy actions ++/-? + ++ ++ + ++ ++ + + +
New Future Farming Investment Scheme
Current policy actions (ATF) +/-? + ++ +? + +/-? +/- +/-? +/-? ++
Future policy actions (new FFIS) ++/-? + ++/-? + + +/-? + +/-? +/- +
Forestry Grant Scheme
Continued policy actions ++/- + ++ ++ + + + + + +/-
Other targeted capital support
Continued policy actions + + +? + +? + +/-? 0 +/-? +
Innovation and landscape-scale collaboration pilot
Future policy actions +? +? +? +? +? +? +? +? +? +?
Tier 4
Developing a new AKIS, including the implementation of a CPD system for the sector
Current policy actions + + + + + + + + + +
Future policy actions +? ++? + + + + + + + +?

Contact

Email: ARPEngage@gov.scot

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