Soil Association Scotland calls for 10% of farmland to go organic

Soil Association Scotland has thrown down a pre-election challenge to Holyrood’s political parties, calling for 10% of the nation’s farmland to be farmed organically as part of its vision for the next parliamentary term.

With the 2026 Scottish election approaching, the charity has launched its manifesto urging the next government to prioritise action on climate change, nature loss and public health through changes to farming and food policy.

Central to its proposals is a 10% land target for organic farming, alongside a 10% target for organic ingredients in public sector procurement.

The organisation is also seeking a multi-year increase in the agriculture budget and the creation of a £10 million fund for low-density tree planting on farms and crofts, to be developed in partnership with Woodland Trust Scotland.

Public procurement sits at the heart of the plan.

Soil Association Scotland wants Food for Life Served Here Bronze certification to become mandatory for all local councils, embedding Scottish produce and sustainable school meals more firmly in public catering.

The Bronze standard prioritises recognised farm assurance schemes including Quality Meat Scotland red meat and Red Tractor chicken.

The charity argues that government buying power could help reshape Scotland’s food system from schools and hospitals upwards, while creating stronger demand for sustainable Scottish produce.

Beyond organic targets, the manifesto calls for accelerated peatland restoration, incentives for regenerative forestry and greater collaboration between landowners at landscape and catchment scale. It also stresses that natural capital opportunities should be accessible to small and medium-sized farms as well as larger estates.

Co-Director David McKay said the next parliamentary session presents a critical opportunity.

“The new parliamentary term offers an opportunity to refresh the policy agenda, with a greater focus on the interlinked climate, nature and dietary health crises,” he said.

“Agricultural policy must incentivise farmers and crofters to adopt low input, nature friendly approaches, building farm business resilience in the face of a changing climate.”

He added: “And more broadly, there is scope to go further and faster on peatland restoration, regenerative forestry as well as the careful integration of trees on farms and crofts.”

Co-Director Sarah Duley said public sector sourcing could deliver multiple benefits at once.

“There is a huge opportunity to use the power of public procurement to deliver on the objectives of the Good Food Nation,” she said.

“Investing in public sourcing can address multiple policy challenges at once, supporting local economic growth by getting more sustainable Scottish food on the table, improving children’s dietary health, and protecting the environment.

“Rebalancing diets away from the current over-consumption of Ultra Processed Foods should also be a public health priority in the next parliament.”

While supporters argue that scaling up organic and agroecological systems would strengthen resilience and environmental outcomes, the proposals are likely to prompt debate over land use priorities, funding allocations and the balance between production and sustainability.

With the Holyrood election now in sight, the charity’s 10% organic land target and procurement demands are set to add to the wider political discussion about how Scotland aligns food production, climate ambition and public health in the years ahead.