Youth to shape farming's future

THE inaugural meeting of NFU Scotland’s New Generation initiative, attended by many of Scotland’s brightest farming talents, has started mapping out the policy priorities for new entrants and young farmers in the industry.
The group has been established to ensure that the views of the younger generation of Scottish farmers can be put at the centre of important industry discussions, helping to shape the big decisions that the food and farming industries face in the coming months and years.
Once developed, it is hoped the new group will be keen to have a platform within the Union to develop its views and make itself central to NFUS work.
NFU Scotland President Nigel Miller said:“There is a wealth of energy and talent in the new generation of farmers in Scotland, many of whom I come across everyday. These people may not be currently involved in the day to day work of the Union but we would undoubtedly benefit from their enthusiasm and outlook.
“The decisions that will be taken in the future – whether on the Single Farm Payment, rural development funding, supply chain development, new entrants or anything else – will affect the whole operating environment for both existing farmers and, importantly, the new generation.
“We need this group’s input into the crucial policy debate that will take place over the coming months and years. Their role is to “future-proof” policy direction but also to map out links with those building their future in farming and ensure the Union is both relevant and accessible to them.
“The initiative has been set up with the goal of engaging with a bank of new talent and build the new structures that will provide a direct route to policy development and the NFUS board. This must fit around the time pressures of a generation already investing considerable energy in business development.
“Whether they are young farmers developing their business or new entrants coming into our sector, we need to examine how the established system can better support them. I don’t believe it has done a good enough job so far. Involving the younger generation in this new initiative and having them feed in directly to NFUS work going forward is a meaningful way of engaging with the future of our food and farming industries.”