Scotland has unveiled a new, industry-backed action plan designed to accelerate growth across the country’s organic food and farming sector and cement its position as the UK’s frontrunner in nature-friendly production.
Organic food and drink is now worth £3.7 billion to the UK market, with sales growing for 13 consecutive years. Within Scotland, the value of the organic market has risen by 20.6% over the past five years, underlining a sustained increase in demand.
Producers have been scaling up to meet this appetite. Between 2021 and 2024, the area of Scottish agricultural land in organic production or conversion expanded by 26.6%, from 103,900 to 131,500 hectares. This growth reflects changing consumer priorities around health, the environment and food quality.
The newly published Scottish Organic Action Plan sets out a roadmap to build on this momentum between now and 2029. Its focus is on scaling up production, stimulating demand at home and overseas, and ensuring organic food and farming can play a stronger role in Scotland’s economy.
As well as supporting market development, the plan is designed to contribute to net zero targets, boost biodiversity and enhance Scotland’s global food reputation. The Scottish Government has backed the initial delivery phase with £200,000 of investment this year to help drive early progress.
Delivery of the plan will be overseen by a coalition bringing together Scotland Food & Drink, the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society (SAOS), Soil Association Scotland, Soil Association Certification and other partners. This partnership approach is seen as a key opportunity to deepen collaboration across the supply chain, from farm to market.
Amanda Brown, Programme Director at Scotland Food & Drink, said: “Scotland is leading the way on organic production within the UK but there is a huge opportunity to grow further.
“Consumers are actively seeking high-quality organic food and drink products, and the Scottish Organic Action Plan marks an important step forward in our commitment to growing an already burgeoning sector.
“The 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.”
Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “With Scotland leading the way on organic production across the UK, publication of this Scottish Organic Action Plan marks an important step in growing Scotland’s organic market.
“It’s important that we support our organic producers to help them access new markets and connect more closely with local supply chains and this plan will help more Scottish food and drink businesses thrive, all while bringing the benefits of organic food to more people across the country.”
You Might Also Like:
Bringing organic food to more people across the country is a central aim, alongside strengthening the resilience of rural communities. The plan is expected to support more value being retained in Scotland through shorter, stronger supply chains.
For environmental groups, the plan signals a renewed commitment to nature-friendly farming. Soil Association Scotland Co-Director David McKay welcomed the move, noting that Scotland is “leaving the rest of the UK behind in backing nature-friendly farming”.
He pointed to strong evidence from Europe that targeted organic action plans can drive growth in both production and consumption of organic food. With no artificial pesticides and higher levels of biodiversity on organic farms, greater investment in Scotland’s organic sector can support climate and nature goals while meeting rising consumer demand and reducing reliance on imports.
