Why better environmental data matters for Scotland’s rural economy

Scotland’s rural economy is being asked to do a lot - produce high-quality food, support jobs and communities, and respond to growing pressure to show progress on climate and nature. At the same time, it must stay competitive as buyers and consumers increasingly want proof of high standards and environmental performance.

For Scotland’s red meat sector, those pressures come together in everyday business. They’re felt on farms and crofts, in marts and processing plants, and across the network of hauliers, butchers and food businesses that Scotland’s communities rely on. The sector contributes more than £3.5 billion to the Scottish economy and supports around 39,000 jobs, many in places where they matter most.

That’s why better environmental data matters. If policy, investment and market access are increasingly shaped by environmental performance, we need to be confident it’s being measured effectively.

The Environmental Baselining Pilot, led by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, supported by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales, assesses the environmental position of 178 farms across Britain, including 22 livestock farms in Scotland. This project helps us understand on-farm emissions and above- and below-ground carbon stocks, giving a fuller picture of agriculture’s capacity to remove and store carbon, helping set the industry standard for sustainable practice.

Emerging results from year one of the five-year project give us a more detailed picture than ever before. Sampling and carbon audits highlight the significant environmental role of Scottish livestock farming. Ample grassland and diverse grass species support stable carbon storage levels, which may be higher in the participating Scottish farms than the remaining participating farms in the pilot. Reports also show 30% or more of soil organic carbon on participating farms sits below the commonly measured 30cm depth, suggesting current accounting methods may miss a significant share of what is stored in the ground.

Evidence of this kind is becoming part of the basic infrastructure a rural economy needs. It helps farm businesses sustainably plan with more confidence, supports investment decisions, and gives policymakers a stronger basis for choices affecting food production and environmental outcomes.

If we’re only measuring part of the picture, there’s a risk of building policy on incomplete evidence. In Scotland, where agriculture, land use and rural livelihoods are closely linked, the consequences are real.

Averages and assumptions can only take us so far. They can miss differences between regions, farm types, soils and production systems, and overlook work many producers are already doing, as well as where further changes could bring environmental, economic and productivity gains.

For farmers, richer data means better business. Systems which result in high environmental performance help sustain production for generations to come. For government, it means recognising the economic and environmental interdependencies of productive agriculture, including its role in helping Scotland achieve net zero while supporting food security and biodiversity.

Cutting domestic production without understanding the wider impact could weaken rural businesses, reduce capacity in processing and distribution, and increase dependence on carbon-costly imports produced to different standards.

The next phase of the pilot will help participating farms understand their results and turn them into practical action plans. The value of data lies in setting the industry standard and helping businesses improve.

At QMS, this connects to our wider work on the future of Scotland’s red meat sector. Through Meating Our Potential, we’re examining how domestic production can be sustained in ways that support economic resilience, environmental progress and food security.

Climate action and rural economic resilience are intrinsically linked. With better evidence, Scotland has an opportunity to shape better decisions for farmers, food production and rural communities.

This article is sponsored by Quality Meat Scotland.

qmscotland.co.uk