A collaborative hub will feature the Sustainable Farmer of the Year Awards and showcase innovative climate responses from over 3000 Scottish farmers and crofters.

The Scottish Agroecology Partnership (SAP), in collaboration with Smallholding Scotland, will host its first-ever dedicated Sustainable Agriculture Tent at the Royal Highland Show this year.

The SAP is a coalition of eight organisations including Nature Friendly Farming Network, Scottish Crofting Federation, Pasture for Life, Soil Association Scotland, Nourish Scotland, Landworkers' Alliance, Propagate, and its new member - Rare Breeds Survival Trust.

The group is funded by Farming the Future and has come together as a shared voice for agroecology in Scotland.

* Farmers leading the transition *

At a time when agricultural policy in Scotland has largely stagnated, farmers and crofters across the country are leading the way in developing innovative responses to the farm profitability, climate and biodiversity crises.

The membership of SAP organisations has now grown to over 3000 farmers and crofters, many of whom are actively working at the forefront of this transition.

* Showcasing innovation and resilience *

The new tent will showcase the breadth and diversity of sustainable farming practices being developed on-farm across Scotland, through a programme of displays, interactive activities, talks, workshops and events.

It will offer a space to highlight how farmers and crofters are responding to the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and building resilient local food systems.

A key feature of the programme will be the Sustainable Farmer of the Year Awards, led by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, with nominations opening shortly.

* Supporting a just transition in Scottish agriculture *

The tent will also provide a platform for SAP’s ongoing policy and campaigning work, calling on the Scottish Government to deliver meaningful support for a just transition: improving fairness across the agricultural sector and removing the barriers and risks that farmers face in transitioning to agroecological practices.

* Inclusivity across the sector *

Importantly, the space will bring together and showcase the work of smaller-scale producers and crofters alongside medium and larger-scale farms, reflecting the full diversity of Scotland’s agricultural landscape and the shared role all producers play in delivering a sustainable future.

Smallholding Scotland will also use the space to raise the profile of the Scottish Smallholding and Countryside Festival, another key event in the farming calendar, which will take place on 17 October of this year.

* Join the conversation *

The Scottish Agroecology Partnership and its partners are delighted to be creating this space for the first time. The Sustainable Agriculture Tent will be open throughout the four days of the Royal Highland Show near the main ring.

Denise Walton, livestock farmer and member of Soil Association Scotland, Nature Friendly Farming Network and Pasture for Life said: “I am looking forward to a farmer-led space dedicated to exploring new practices with a sense of openness, fun, and camaraderie.

"While the weekdays will focus on farmers and crofters sharing their lived experiences, the weekend will showcase the wonderful food and fibre produced for the public attending this year’s show.

"Underpinning all of this is a commitment to the benefits for nature, wildlife, soil health, and rural communities that our farmers bring to Scotland."

Judith Hutchison, beef and sheep farmer at Chapel Farm said: "As weather patterns grow increasingly unpredictable and input costs continue to rise - from fertilisers and fuel to feed - interest in sustainable agriculture has never been greater.

"Farmers want to see for themselves how others are putting these ideas into practice, and whether they can make them pay. The Sustainable Agriculture Tent at the Royal Highland Show is the perfect place for exactly those conversations."

Donald Armstrong, organic dairy farmer at Langbarns farm said: "As the premier event in Scotland's agricultural calendar, the Sustainable Agriculture Tent is the ideal setting for face-to-face knowledge sharing — connecting farmers already practicing more sustainable methods with those looking to follow in their footsteps."

Soil Association Scotland looks forward to welcoming farmers, crofters, policymakers and members of the public to join us for conversations about what a truly just, farmer-led transition in Scottish agriculture could look like.