Rural and Environment

  • Stability and Simplicity: Proposals for a rural funding transition period

    16th November 2018 by

    For the whole of the Scottish parliament’s lifetime, farm policy and support in Scotland has been determined by membership of the EU, and more specifically CAP. With the UK’s decision to leave the EU, there is no doubt that the year ahead will be difficult. That is why the Scottish Government has made it clear…

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  • Winter is coming

    9th November 2018 by

    By Ian Davidson, Head of Agriculture Policy Division    Farming can be a rewarding profession – but there can be no doubt it poses a unique set of challenges. Over the past year, a wet winter followed by a cold spring and then the long, dry summer has meant farmers have faced many challenges including…

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  • Programme for Government 2018/19: Rural commitments

    15th October 2018 by

    We’ve recently seen the unveiling of this year’s Programme for Government, outlining our commitment to making this bolder, more ambitious vision of Scotland’s future a reality. Over the coming year, I’ll be focusing my attention on carrying out the following commitments to support the sectors which make up one of Scotland’s key priority areas –…

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  • Programme for Government 2018/19: Environmental commitments

    3rd October 2018 by

    Following the announcement of the 2018/19 Programme for Government, I’ve set out my key commitments to target the most pressing issues facing Scotland’s environment today. From plastics and waste to marine protected areas, I’ve provided a brief round-up of the measures being taken to address these issues. Plastics and waste We’ve all seen the damaging…

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  • The EU is vital for environmental research

    25th November 2016 by

    This week I met staff at the Scottish Government’s main rural, agricultural and environmental research institutes in Edinburgh to hear about their concerns over the threats posed by Brexit.

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