Scottish farming will need to rise to the challenges of Brexit and climate change. Image: Ian Rutherford / Alamy
Pastures new: how the twin challenges of Brexit and climate change can provide new opportunities for Scottish farming
When Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced an eleventh hour Brexit trade deal on Christmas Eve, Scottish farming breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Since the vote in favour of EU withdrawal in 2016, organisations such as the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) Scotland had warned of the calamitous impact of a no-deal outcome.
The final deal fell some way short of providing frictionless trade, but the EU’s decision to grant third-country listing status to the UK and to approve the export of meat and dairy was crucial, with Scottish red meat exports alone worth £80m annually.