'It has never been so important for us food producers to bring our customers along with us'

"THE IMPORTANCE of sharing experience within farming to help others and shape policy is something I strongly believe in. Time spent out creating networks and engaging with stakeholders is not a waste of time but arguably some of the most valuable.

This is very much the reason that has driven me to stand for the role of NFU Scotland’s Next Generation Chairman. Through my time within SAYFC Agri-Affairs and more recently the Scottish Enterprise Rural Leadership programme, I became aware that in order to steer change you must involve yourself with groups that have the capacity to make change but more importantly that take a positive attitude and strive to find solutions rather than just identifying problems that are already clear for all to see.

Collaboration both internally and externally is key for change, and the union's decision to add the Next Generation seat to the board is an example of the value 'we' as a working group bring to the union but more importantly to the wider industry. Being able to feed in and take away vital knowledge and ideas through these groups is key to shaping a prolific Scottish agriculture industry, full of innovation and opportunity.

As Scotland and the UK look to shape future policy, it is vital the Next Generation has a voice in order to influence agricultural policy to make it a fair, rewarding and sustainable system. We, as a group, must work together with the whole union as well as outside stakeholders such as SAYFC, RHASS, QMS and AHDB to ensure our vision lines up with the values of the whole industry. This collaboration will become increasingly important as we step into the new age where building trade relationships will become key to what we do as an industry.

With the future of farm support hanging in the air, farmers have a big part to play and must step up to the challenge. The role we play as individual businesses will come under increasing scrutiny when support is balanced against health and social care. The public good we provide will come to the forefront of people’s minds. We must wake up to the realisation that what we do and how we do it is of public concern. There are unarguably a lot of great work form farmers and goods we provide in order to justify the support we receive, but the right for the public to question this is valid.

In order to show our value, we must prove it. No longer in the public mind is the vision of 'custodians of the countryside'. Continually we come under attack for the methods we implement and seldom are we acknowledged for the unseen work we do. Sensationalist, click-bait headlines have taken over the media and arguments come down to 145 characters. Emotive language from environmentalists and ‘animal rights’ activists are difficult for us to bat away. We cannot continue to stand on the back foot.

It has never been so important for us as food producers to bring our customers along with us. That could be as simple as sharing our stories through social media, hosting a Royal Highland Education Trust visit or taking part in the ever-growing network of farmers opening their gates for LEAF Open Farm Sunday. We have nothing to be afraid of. Transparency and honesty are fundamental to our supply chains. Too often we as farmers perceive questioning of our practices as an attack. Just this week while sharing posts for #Februdairy, I have been aggressively questioned about what I do as a dairy farmer. We must not greet this with aggression, but instead with honesty and simple but truthful facts.

Have we more right to complain about coverage of farming’s effect on greenhouse gas emissions or antibiotic resistance than aviation or healthcare? I would argue not. What we can do is share our successes such as carbon capture through land management or the reduction of antibiotic use beyond targets. We must up our game and instead of fighting a system we must be willing to play in it."