Transitioning past business as usual requires stepping into uncomfortable spaces and having candid, peer-to-peer conversations. Delivered in collaboration with Species on the Edge, this interactive workshop bridges on-the-ground crofting reality with systemic agricultural policy reform.
Grounded in practical insights from local crofters participating in Species on the Edge, attendees will explore how low-input livestock management, species recovery, and target-driven wader habitat provision deliver tangible economic and ecological returns.
Facilitated discussion groups featuring Donna Smith (CEO, Scottish Crofting Federation), Rachel Ives (Balmerino Farm), and Jamie Jack (Pasture for Life) will address critical structural challenges:
Managing and securing the future of common grazings.
Aligning public agri-environment funding (AECS) and private finance to close investment gaps.
Cultivating regional cross-sector momentum for nature-friendly crofting in Shetland.
In partnership with Species on the Edge, RSPB Scotland, Pasture for Life and the Scottish Crofting Federation.