6. To ask the Scottish Government what actions it is taking to mitigate any negative effects of commercial forestry on farming. (S6O-02297)

We have introduced positive initiatives to help farmers and crofters get the benefits of growing trees and to support their farming business.

All woodland creation is assessed for its agricultural impact and recent analysis shows that all types of woodland, including commercial forestry, have a vital role to play in reducing net CO₂ emissions.

The Scottish Land Commission has found that there has been a notable increase in off-market or secret sales of farms to turn them into forestry. Will the Cabinet secretary tell me what the Government is doing to ensure that any secret sales are above board and that they are not sacrificing irreplaceable productive farmland to subsidise greenwashing through tree planting?

I welcome the report that the SLC has put together, and I want to engage with it to discuss directly the outcomes of that report.

As I said, we undertake impact assessments. This morning, I was at the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee, where we talked about forestry. I emphasised again that, ultimately, we want to see the right tree in the right place, and we want to ensure that any transactions in that regard are handled appropriately and in the right way.

I am more than happy to follow up and discuss the issue further with the member.

I have been contacted by constituents in Dumfries and Galloway who have provided examples of forestry having been planted on prime agricultural land. Given the need to ensure food security in Scotland, and our proud agricultural history, does the Cabinet secretary agree that following the right tree in the right place strategy is important? Will she set out whether the Scottish Government is considering any action to stop large-scale commercial planting on prime agricultural land, such as that in Dumfries and Galloway?

The member raises important points. As I said in my previous response, I very much believe in and am supportive of the right tree in the right place approach, because we want to ensure that food production and the actions to address the nature and climate crises are taken together.

Through our work on the development of the agriculture bill, which will be introduced this year, and the recent consultation on the future forestry grant scheme, we will be supporting greater integration between farming and forestry through the incentives that we offer to land managers.