Agricultural reform: environmental report - strategic environmental assessment

Chapter 6 Monitoring

Monitoring significant environmental effects is a statutory requirement within the 2005 Act. Monitoring seeks to ensure that plans avoid generating unforeseen adverse environmental effects and enables the responsible authority to undertake appropriate remedial action.

An Agricultural Reform monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework is under development by Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services Division (RESAS). It will set out how the programme intends to monitor and evaluate actions taken by the Scottish Government through Agricultural Reform to meet outcomes.

The approach to developing the M&E framework for the Agricultural Reform is grounded in the requirements of the Agricultural and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024. The Agricultural Reform’s strategic outcomes framework (see Figure 7.1) forms the backbone of the emerging monitoring and evaluation approach in assessing the overall effectiveness of the programme and potential learning. The proposed approach will create a suite of metrics and indicators assigned to the outcomes in order to link modelling results to outcomes which will allow them to be quantified. This will include alignment, where possible, to National Performance Framework (NPF) indicators.

Strategic Outcome - Food production

Sub-outcome

• Value produced
• Diversity of output
• Environmental impact
• Animal health and welfare

Strategic Outcome – Thriving businesses

Sub-outcome

• Support payments
• Profitability
• Workforce diversity
• Living wage

Strategic Outcome – Climate change

Sub-outcome

• Adaption
• Carbon stores
• Livestock emissions
• Soil emissions and efficiency
• Slurry emissions

Strategic Outcome – Nature restoration

Sub-outcome

• Nature rich habitiat (landscape)
• Nature rich habitat (holding)
• Air and water quality
• Soil health

Strategic Outcome – Just transition

Sub-outcome

• Skills
• Knowledge exchange
• Wellbeing and mental health
• Access to services

Until a new M&E framework is developed, the Scottish Government will continue to use existing CAP metrics to monitor the Agricultural Reform.

The development of a new M&E framework offers key opportunities to incorporate the monitoring of unforeseen environmental effects. As the Scottish Government develops the detail of the Agricultural Reform monitoring, this should reflect environmental indicators which reflect the SEA topics. This should include measures that are not currently reflected in the Agricultural Reform strategic outcomes framework, such as cultural heritage. The proposals for monitoring will be addressed and further outlined within the post adoption statement at the end of the SEA process.