Seòmar agus comataidhean

The new global framework agreement requires all land to be

“under participatory integrated biodiversity inclusive spatial planning and/or effective management processes addressing land and sea use change”.

I am interested in how the Scottish Government is interpreting that requirement. What does that requirement mean in practice in terms of land use spatial planning?

I had a supplementary to Fiona Hyslop’s question on mainstreaming. Is it okay for me to ask that first?

Thank you. I do not have any relevant interests to declare

On the land reform bill, which has been mentioned, it is accepted that Scotland has an unusually concentrated pattern of land ownership. I know that the Scottish Government has expressed a desire for more diverse patterns of rural land ownership, but can you explain how addressing such a concentration of land ownership can improve biodiversity and nature restoration? Do you have any examples that you can share of best practice with regard to nature restoration on publicly owned land, whether that be land owned by councils or other public bodies?

I have just a very brief follow-up to that. So you believe that it is possible, on one piece of land, not only to protect nature but to produce food and perhaps resources such as wood for building materials.

Thank you, convener, and thank you to the committee for accommodating my involvement today.

I would like to ask a couple of questions, depending on time. The first relates to a point that Dr Deborah Long made regarding the need to mainstream the targets across different policy areas and sectors. I think that other witnesses have mentioned that, too, so perhaps we could hear from Deborah Long first, and others if there is time.

I would like to know what role you see for land reform in ensuring successful implementation of the COP15 outcomes in Scotland. Would your organisation like to see any specific interventions around that?

My other question goes back to a couple of earlier comments. There was a comment about the role of private financing, and Dr Long also talked about the need for, I think, 980,000 hectares to be protected for nature. How can we ensure that that target on protecting land for nature works in harmony with our nation’s other needs, such as food security and economic resilience for rural communities?

Thank you very much. Do any of the other witnesses want to respond?

It sounds as though you are saying that trade regulation is a more important factor—that behaviour change will follow that—than more public awareness campaigns and education in schools. You think that it is about the trade side of things.

We heard from the previous witnesses, and I think that we are hearing now, that livestock numbers have already reduced and are continuing to reduce. We want to avoid simply shifting emissions overseas by importing the meat that we eat here. In your view, is the nation’s diet changing quickly enough to keep pace with and match the policy changes that we are bringing forward? If not, how can we improve that, and what is the Government’s role in achieving this behaviour change in diet?

I will ask those questions first, but I have another one if there is time to ask it.