Strong support for Organic from Holyrood as Cabinet Secretary Mairi Gougeon unveils details of Scottish Organic Action Plan at the Scottish Organic Gathering

The inaugural Scottish Organic Gathering, held on 20 November at Balcaskie Estate in Fife showcased both the rapid growth of organic farming in Scotland and the ongoing political ambition behind it.

The event hosted by Soil Association Scotland, in partnership with Soil Association Certification, brought together more than 150 farmers, growers, food businesses, academics, supply-chain stakeholders and policy leaders for a day focused on scaling Scotland's organic sector. 

Opening the event, was a keynote address from Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, who shared details of the forthcoming Scottish Organic Action Plan.

Her speech outlined key measures designed to strengthen the market, expand supply chains and support farmers transitioning to organic production – all backed by £200,000 of Scottish Government funding, for the first year of a three-year delivery, awarded to Scotland Food & Drink to drive the roll-out.

Mairi spoke about maximising on the opportunities for organic in Scotland – both the market potential for quality Scottish produce, and the benefits for climate, nature and health.

She then outlined the five main pillars of the plan which includes raising awareness of organic, research and training, developing supply chains and markets, facilitating conversion and maintenance, and promoting public procurement of organic.

Momentum builds for Scottish organic farming
Scotland continues to outpace the rest of the UK in organic growth. Defra figures reveal Scotland achieved a 13% increase in organic farmland in 2024, bringing the total area to 131,500 hectares—marking the sixth consecutive year of expansion. This far surpasses the marginal 1% rise in England and the decline in Wales.

This growth in organic land area has been driven by Scottish Government policy - with consistent support for conversion and maintenance through the Agri Environment Climate Scheme (AECs), and the removal of the area caps on conversion.

With the AECs window due to open in early 2026, more farmers should be able to access this essential funding to transition to nature-friendly farming.

Event discussions emphasise market opportunities
Data shared at the event showed that while organic sales in Scotland are coming from a small base, it has seen the strongest growth in organic sales in Great Britain over a 5 year period according to Kantar Worldpanel.  

Speakers throughout the day focused on unlocking market opportunities—from boosting organic's presence in retail to scaling its role in public and private sector catering.

In one panel sessions, looking at scaling up organic farming, David Erskine Livestock Procurement Manager at ABP Beef spoke about the retail for demand organic red meat which presents both a challenge and an opportunity for future supply.

"Retailers are looking for organic supply. Our job is to identify how we're going to find that supply to meet demand – where is supply going to be in 5 - 10 years. It was great to hear the Cabinet Secretary announce some proposals to address this," said Erskine.

The panel sessions moved from farm to plate, with a focus on public sector procurement, wholesale and contract catering, chaired by Sarah Gowanlock, head of the Soil Association Scotland Food for Life programme.

There was a wealth of experience on the panel, featuring Andrew Kennedy, Head of Facilities and Property Management at East Ayrshire Council, Stuart Aitken, Head of Food Scotland at Baxter Storey, Ylva Haglund, Head of Sustainability and Communications at the Scottish Wholesale Association and Sean Ruffell, Managing Director at Organic North.

Among many stand-out lines from the discussion was a point that Stuart Aitken made about education.
"The biggest driver is education. We have a conversation with our customers – we say we can offer a better tasting product, sourced from a much fairer system." 

Delivering the Scottish Organic Action plan
The Scottish Organic Action plan aims to accelerate the growth of organic in Scotland. 

David McKay, Co-Director of Soil Association Scotland and Head of Policy in Scotland says "We were delighted to have Mairi Gougeon join us at Balcaskie and introduce the Scottish Organic Action plan"

"The recent growth in organic land area has already been driven by Scottish Government policy – and these new measures should go even further to expand organic in Scotland and reach the commitment to double the organic land area."

"We know from international experience that action plans can be effective in helping to develop markets for organic produce." 

Delivery of the Action Plan will be overseen by a coalition of organisations made up of Scotland Food & Drink, SAOS, Soil Association Scotland and Soil Association Certification, among others.

Amanda Brown, Programme Director at Scotland Food & Drink, said: "After six consecutive years of expansion, it's clear that Scotland is leading the way on organic production within the UK – and the forthcoming Scottish Organic Action Plan marks an important step forward in our commitment to growing an already burgeoning sector.

"The Action Plan sets out clear priorities to scale up production, meet demand, and support the long-term development of organic food and farming in Scotland, and we're excited to be part of the delivery team ensuring the industry makes strong progress. The inaugural Scottish Organic Gathering was an inspiring first step on that journey."

A turning point for Scotland's organic sector
With strong government backing, rising consumer interest, and a growing community of producers, speakers agreed the sector is entering a pivotal moment. The Scottish Organic Gathering has laid the groundwork for deeper collaboration across the food system as Scotland prepares to implement its new Organic Action Plan in the new year.