Soil Association Scotland has called on Scotland’s political parties to commit to a major expansion of organic farming ahead of the 2026 election, setting out a target for 10% of the country’s agricultural land to be managed organically during the next parliamentary term.
The call forms part of the charity’s pre-election manifesto, which argues that changes to farming and food policy will be key to tackling climate change, biodiversity loss and public health challenges.
Alongside the land target, the organisation wants at least 10% of ingredients used in public sector catering to be sourced from organic production. It also argues that public procurement could play a significant role in reshaping Scotland’s food system by increasing demand for sustainable Scottish produce.
Central to the proposals is a push to make the Food for Life Served Here Bronze certification mandatory across all local authorities. The scheme prioritises food produced under recognised assurance standards, including those backed by Quality Meat Scotland for red meat and the Red Tractor Assurance scheme for poultry.
The charity is also calling for a multi-year increase in the agriculture budget and the creation of a £10 million fund to support low-density tree planting on farms and crofts. The initiative would be developed in partnership with Woodland Trust Scotland.
Other proposals outlined in the manifesto include accelerating peatland restoration work, supporting regenerative forestry and encouraging greater collaboration between land managers at a landscape scale. The organisation has also stressed that emerging natural capital markets should be accessible to small and medium-sized farms as well as large estates.
Co-director David McKay said the next parliamentary term would be an important opportunity to shift priorities in agricultural policy.
“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.”
His fellow co-director Sarah Duley highlighted the potential role of public sector food purchasing in supporting the changes.
“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.”
She added that tackling the over-consumption of ultra-processed foods should also be a priority for the next Scottish Parliament.
Supporters of organic and agroecological farming argue that expanding these systems could deliver benefits for biodiversity, soil health and farm resilience. However, the proposals are likely to spark debate across the sector about land use priorities, funding and how to balance environmental ambition with food production.
With the next 2026 Scottish Parliament election approaching, the charity’s call for a 10% organic land target is expected to add to the wider discussion about the future direction of Scottish agriculture.
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