A groundbreaking pilot initiative, spearheaded by the North Highland Initiative (NHI), has provided farms across Moray and Aberdeenshire, alongside other areas in northern Scotland, with vital insights into their environmental performance, animal health and welfare, and overall business resilience. The project aims to equip farmers with a clearer understanding of their current standing as the agricultural sector navigates evolving market, policy, and sustainability demands.
The initiative received significant backing from key industry players including Sainsbury’s, ABP Food Group, and Dunbia, alongside charitable support from The Royal Countryside Fund and Dounreay.
Participating farms engaged in comprehensive data collection during summer 2025, compiling baseline metrics that spanned animal health and welfare, biodiversity, soil health, carbon emissions, and livestock performance. This data collection was facilitated in collaboration with Soil Association Exchange and was specifically designed to align with the Scottish Government’s Whole Farm Plan requirements.
A spokesperson for the project detailed the subsequent stages of engagement, stating: “Following data collection in summer 2025, farmers took part in a series of workshops to review findings and identify common themes emerging across the group. Individual one-to-one support sessions were then delivered in spring 2026, helping each farm develop practical action plans tailored to their own business.”
The pilot phase has demonstrated robust farmer engagement and underscored the benefits of integrating supply chain support with direct, farm-focused advice. Its collaborative nature also brought together a broad spectrum of organisations, including Soil Association Scotland, NatureScot, RSPB Scotland, Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), the National Farmers Union of Scotland (NFUS), Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Focus North, and the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI).
In Case You Missed it:
Hutton to lead €6 million project to encourage more young people into farming careers
Owner’s Engineer appointed to pioneering renewable energy project
Hutton to host Climate-Positive Farming Taster Day as part of Climate Week North East
£1million community fund opens across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray
The spokesperson further highlighted the project’s broader implications: “The pilot has created a valuable evidence base for future support programmes and has identified opportunities to strengthen both farm resilience and environmental performance across the region.”
Building on this initial success, the North Highland Initiative is set to roll out a comprehensive programme of workshops, resilience training, and practical support throughout 2026 and 2027. The organisation is actively seeking additional funding to enable the expansion of this successful initiative to a greater number of farms across the north of Scotland.
Sainsbury’s, ABP Food Group, and Dunbia have collectively affirmed their commitment to supporting the forthcoming phase of the programme, aligning with their ongoing dedication to fostering a sustainable and resilient livestock supply chain.
