Cothrom an àrainneachd agus àrach bidhe a thoirt còmhla, le Murray MacLeòid

Ach, air cùlaibh a h-uile càil a bh’ ann, bha adhbhar gu math cudromach airson an tachartais.

Tha sgìrean dùthchail na h-Alba aig crois-rathaid.

Air aon taobh, tha an t-aithneachadh gu feumar barrachd a dhèanamh a thaobh na h-àrainneachd agus air an taobh eile, feumar siostam a' bhidhe a neartachadh.

Ach, cha leig an dà rud a leas a bhith cho sgaraichte ‘s a thathar a’ dèanamh a-mach, agus tha an cothrom aig luchd nam poileataigs slighe ùr a dhealbhadh a bheir gach taobh gu chèile.

Chaidh Bile ùr Àitheachais a chur a-mach gu co-comhairleachadh san Lùnastal agus thig sin gu crìch an ath mhìos, le dùil gun tig an obair mhòr mu thimcheall a dhèanamh sna mìosan ri thighinn anns na deasbadan agus aig comataidhean Pàrlamaid na h-Alba.

Ma bha còir amas a bhith ann dhan Bhile co-ionnanachd a chruthachadh am measg dhaoine, gu deimhinne rinn e sin, ged a tha fhios nach b’ ann anns an dòigh a bhathar an dòchas.

Thog gach taobh dhen ghnìomhachas an guth mu cho beag ‘s bha ann de fhiosrachadh mionaideach a thaobh mar a thig £800 million a roinn a-mach – suim nach eil idir beag – san àm ri teachd.

Bha an luchd-iomairt a chruinnich taobh a-muigh na Pàrlamaid glè mhothachail air laigsean a’ Bhile agus bha iad airson an guth a thogail mu nì sònraichte: ‘s e sin, a’ bhuaidh chudromach a dh’fhaodadh a bhith aig obair àiteachais bheaga, mar a chì thu le croitearachd – chan ann a-mhàin a thaobh na h-àrainneachd, ach cuideachd a thaobh a bhith ag àrach biadh falainn aig àrd ìre.

Ach, tha eachdraidh ag innse g’ eil obair romhpa. Ma tha na sgrìoban-treabhaidh a chaidh a dhèanamh ron a seo nan dearbhadh, ‘s ann a thig an taic as motha gu na tuathanaich mhòra agus e cus ro fhurasta dhan luchd-poileataigs èisteachd a thoirt dha na guthan as cumhachdaiche. Lean an t-airgead mar a chanas iad. Ceist mhòr, a bheil sin a’ dol a dh’atharrachadh.

Ged a chaidh am Bile mar a tha e a chàineadh gu dubh, tha obair air a bhith a’ dol son ùine a chaidh seachad airson beagan de dh’fheòil a chur air na cnàmhan.

Air cùlaibh dhorsan, tha luchd-comhairleachaidh an Riaghaltais air a thighinn an àirde le diofar mhodalan.

Tha fear aca stèidhichte air siostam far am feum àireamh shònraichte de bheathaichean a bhith agad mus fhaigh thu taic – mu shia caora gach hectair aig a’ char as ìsle. Ach tha gu leòr anns na sgìrean croiteachd dham bi sin mì-iomchaidh agus tha iad a’ dèanamh a-mach gun toireadh e droch bhuaidh air mu 800 gnìomhachas croite.

Eadar a bhith a’ gabhail ghamagan an siud ‘s an seo agus innse mu sgeulachd a' bhidhe, bha an tachartas ann an Dùn Èideann gu mòr airson aire a tharraing chun na buannachd ann a bhith ag obair aig ìre bheag agus mar a chuireas sin ri maith na dùthcha.

Agus tha an tuilleadh ri thighinn.

Bidh tachartas eile ann an ath mhìos aig an dearbh làrach le Aonadh nan Tuathanach agus iadsan air a dhol an sàs ann an iomairt phoblach fon bhratach: #FoodNeedsAFarmer.

Chan eil an strì airson airson cridhe sgìrean dùthchail na h-Alba ach air tòiseachadh.

English-language version:

No doubt it was all a rather nice jolly for the politicians and civil servants to gather outside Holyrood earlier in the week and fill their bellies with some of the best of Scottish produce.

But, as the old adage goes: there’s no such thing as a free lunch, and behind the jovialities and stories of food provenance and culinary wonders was an important message.

Scotland’s countryside currently stands at a precipice: on one side there is a recognition of the greater environmental work to be done and on the other side increased food security. (Portent of things to come: they need not be mutually exclusive).

And in all this high-stakes balancing act, the politicians hold the key.

A new Agriculture Bill was launched for consultation in August and will come to a close next month, with the real work expected to come in future months as it winds its way through the Scottish Parliament.

If the initial offering was meant to unify the different strands, it certainly has done that, though not as intended, with widespread condemnation of its lack of detail.

Those campaigners who gathered outside the Scottish Parliament were well aware of the Bill’s deficiencies and were there to press home a message: that small-scale agriculture has a vital role to play, both in an environmental context, but also in terms of food production.

But history suggests they have their work cut out. If the furrows of the past are anything to go by, the balance of support will fall towards those involved in large-scale and industrial farming, with politicians seemingly all too easily seduced by the voice of the powerful. There is little to suggest a major change in the air, even with the environmental imperatives at play

While the consultation Bill as it stands has been criticised for its vagueness, work has been going behind the scenes in trying to put some flesh on the bones.

One formal option under discussion would see the introduction of a single classification of land for livestock - currently there are three - but assistance would only go to those with stocking densities of over 0.8 units per hectare, the equivalent of around one cow or around six sheep.

While certainly easy to administer, it would effectively remove vast acreages of rough grazing from support, with a calculation that 800 crofting businesses would be adversely affected.

Another option is just to do away with the classification system and redirect support towards the hill sector. Again it has its benefits, but will be a difficult swallow for some.

This week’s Holyrood event was specifically to raise awareness of eco-friendly small-scale production and the benefits it brings.

There will also be another event next month when the National Farmers Union will hold a rally at the same location on the back of a publicity campaign under the tagline #FoodNeedsAFarmer.

It looks like the battle for the heart and soul of Scotland’s soil has only just begun.