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The impact of organic farming on climate change
Why it is important
The Scottish Government is committed to support the transition to net zero, whilst restoring and regenerating biodiversity. Organic farming practices have the potential to deliver to both agendas. Therefore, in the 2021-2022 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government committed to doubling the land area devoted to organic farming in Scotland by 2026 and supporting the growth of organic food production.
Given these aims, Government asked ClimateXChange to commission a robust evidence review to help understand how organic farming practices contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Findings from the study demonstrate the environmental benefits of different organic farming practices and how they could help farmers adapt to a changing climate. This has informed Scottish Government’s decision-making about agricultural policy.
Furthermore, the report clarifies the definition of organic farming, addressing terminology challenges identified in previous work.
How ClimateXChange supported policymakers
Organic farming has become a widely used term, applied across a range of circumstances. ClimateXChange supported the project team in designing the research and subsequent report to clearly set out important distinctions. As a result, this report presents a clear summary of what constitutes organic farming practices, which is different from organic farming business certification.
The study included a rapid evidence assessment of academic and grey literature, followed by two stakeholder workshops to test the emerging findings and gather opinions from those directly involved in this sector. Published literature is – by definition – dated, given the time required for research, reporting, publication and dissemination. Stakeholder engagement ensured that the research captured up-to-date Scotland-specific practice and experience.
The project team had considerable expertise in organic farming research. They synthesised complex academic knowledge and mapped the state of knowledge and key evidence gaps that could be explored further. ClimateXChange brought expertise in knowledge exchange to communicate the results effectively with a wider policy audience who were not experts on the topic.
Impact
The findings shaped the development of the Scottish Government’s agriculture reform work, informing decisions on what organic farming practices to support. Furthermore, the report also informed the revised draft of Scotland’s Organic Action Plan. This has been presented to teams across Government as well as to ministers and will update the shared agenda for the sector, with actions to be taken forward by all parties.
The Organic Action Plan is due to be published in June 2025 and will be used to support the growth of the organic sector in Scotland, through encouraging market growth and increasing the area of farmland under organic management.
The report contributed not only with knowledge but also to building relationships between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Organic Stakeholders Group.
“Thanks to the report, we learned about the benefits of organic farming on important aspects such as biodiversity, soil health and food waste reduction. This knowledge has been valuable in informing our work on the Organic Action Plan. It also helped set organic farming in the context of the wider agriculture support framework.”
– Callum Neil, Agri-Environment Senior Policy Adviser and Organic Action Plan Lead
Scottish Government
“The report was really helpful, particularly for our agricultural reform work, highlighting that organic farming is not a uniform set of practices. This provides a more holistic approach that farmers and crofters can take in selecting from a list of measures they can adopt to increase the sustainability of agriculture.”
– Stephanie Davies, Senior Agri-Environment Policy Adviser
Scottish Government
Related reports
Organic farming, net zero impacts and the impact of a changing climate
The potential for an agroecological approach in Scotland: Policy brief