Farmers who embrace agroforestry – planting trees alongside crops or livestock – can benefit both climate and nature, whilst ensuring a profitable and resilient farming business.

That is according to the Nature Friendly Farming Network, which was this week celebrating its newly prominent position in deciding the future of Scottish farm policy.

Last week, Rural Affairs Cabinet Secretary Mairi Gougeon announced the creation of Scotland's Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board, with a membership drawn from across the industry – including NFFN Scotland’s steering group member and livestock farmer, Nikki Yoxall.

NFFN has since welcomed much of the Scottish Government and the Scottish Green Party coalition’s vision for future agriculture and land-use, saying that the plan to support farmers and crofters was 'positive progress' towards a low-carbon, nature-rich future.

The network's Scotland chair, Michael Clarke, said: “There is much to welcome in Mairi Gougeon’s announcement last week. It provides a collective way of moving forward, with many opportunities for farmers and crofters to have their needs heard during the development of future agricultural policies.”

But Mr Clarke stressed that encouragement for afforestation had to be properly 'balanced': “Undoubtedly, Scotland needs to reduce its timber imports and commercial forestry will have numerous benefits to society," he said. "But productive forestry and native woodlands need to be balanced with due care, so the ambition of delivering on climate targets doesn’t have undue consequences on biodiversity – where blanket forestry could drive predominantly single-species woodlands and miss out on a vital opportunity to support diverse habitats for wildlife.”

The Farming for 1.5 report has suggested a dedicated 10-year programme with a budget for farmers and crofters to deliver agroforestry and a public interest test to be applied if more than 50% of a holding is planned to be afforested – an approach NFFN Scotland has endorsed.

Mr Clarke said: “Agroforestry is an effective measure to ensure biodiversity net gain is weighed alongside carbon storage and farmers who have implemented this approach have experienced great return for both climate and nature, whilst ensuring a profitable and resilient farming business at the same time.

“NFFN Scotland will work hard to demonstrate to the Government how nature-friendly farming can deliver in some of the areas outlined in their draft policy programme and advocate for the right support that farmers and crofters need to make this possible.”

Ms Yoxall added: “I am delighted to have been invited to join the board and am looking forward to supporting the work to shape future Agriculture policy in Scotland. Collectively, we are at a critical point in history where we have an opportunity to take action to address climate change and biodiversity loss, with farmers, crofters and land managers having a key role to play in that challenge.”

The draft policy agreement outlined by the SNP-Greens coalition focuses on climate and nature action that puts farming and crofting at its core, and suggests there should be 4000 hectares of native woodland within the overall yearly target of 18,000 hectares of trees planted per year.