Future Agriculture Support Inquiry: Interim Report Response

LINK’s response to the Interim Report of the Inquiry into Future Support for Agriculture in Scotland: LINK’s vision for the future of agricultural funding is for a series of tiered payments aimed at delivering public goods which are otherwise undersupplied by the market.  This payment system would include a base payment with a series of management requirements attached: payments for High Nature Value farming and organic farming systems; targeted agri-environment payments for meeting the requirements of environmental legislation where this demands significant locally differentiated changes in practice.  Whilst LINK supports the aim of the inquiry and the rationale for future payments elaborated in the interim report, we disagree with the proposed funding mechanisms.