Farming leaders have demanded the government takes immediate action to prevent Scotland from becoming the “bargain basement” destination for carbon credit investors.
NFU Scotland (NFUS) president Martin Kennedy told the union’s annual conference, attended by Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon, that unless the government intervenes, the critical mass that’s required to maintain Scotland’s agricultural infrastructure will fall apart.
He said: “I’m not one for too much regulation, but this scenario is running way out of control and needs to be stopped before we as a nation are seen as a laughing stock.
“I can see massive opportunities in carbon markets, with annual management payments whereby farmers and crofters could benefit from actions that are seen to enhance carbon capture, and I can also see opportunities for planting trees to act as wildlife corridors, carbon sinks to help the environment and in many cases help biosecurity on farms.
“However that’s completely different from wholesale farm plantings that take out not only good agricultural land but also the people who are the life and soul of the community in a manner akin to the Highland Clearances.”
Both Mr Kennedy, and his vice-president Andrew Connon, said they were receiving calls on a daily basis from members “from Kintyre to Caithness” who were worried about productive farmland being sold to green lairds who, on many occasions, were also foreign investors.
In the last two years 83% of UK tree planting has been in Scotland, and Mr Connon complained that Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) was outbidding farmers for productive farmland.
He added: “It is truly immoral to have blanket planting of trees on good quality land.
“Surely Scottish Government needs to start listening and have a rapid rethink on tree planting.”
Ms Gougeon said she understood the points raised and while she didn’t want to see the industry’s critical mass diminished, she pointed out the government also had ambitious tree planting targets.
“The public can’t finance everything, so its about getting the balance between public and private investment,” she said.
“We will be introducing a land reform bill within the lifetime of this parliament and looking at some of these issues within that.
“I understand where you’re coming from so I will look into it and try to resolve some of these problems.”