A written report of:AGRARIAN REFORM IN SCOTLAND

(Group #3)

I. General Situationer

A. History of Scottish Land Reform

Land ownership in Scotland was originally based on the feudal system. It is highly visible during the middle ages to the early modern age but was slowly declining since then. During the 17th – 19th century the Scottish Agricultural Revolution started. The Agricultural Revolution gave way to new technology in Scottish farming as well as property rights to small landowners and free tenants. Enclosures began to displace the run rig system and free pasture. The result of these changes were the Lowland Clearances, by which hundreds of thousands of cottars and tenant farmers from central and southern Scotland were forcibly moved from the farms and small holdings their families had occupied for hundreds of years. The Highland Clearances saw the forced displacement much of the population of the Highland as lands were enclosed, principally so that they could be used for sheep farming. The clearances followed patterns of agricultural change throughout the UK, but were particularly notorious as a result of the late timing, the lack of legal protection for year-by-year tenants under Scots law, the abruptness of the change from the traditional clan system, and the brutality of many evictions.

The Feudal relationship in lands was only eradicated with the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act 2000. It effectively abolishes the feudal system of land tenure that has been in existence in Scotland in various forms since around the 12th century. It simply states that no feudal relationship will be permitted in the future, existing superiorities will be abolished and existing vassals will cease to be vassals and will become straightforward owners of land.

B. Current Agrarian Reform Policies

Common Agricultural Policy (Implemented 2014)

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is the agricultural policy of the European Union. It implements a system of agricultural subsidies and other programs. Although farmers in many European Union countries are efficient and produce high yields, land, input and fuel costs make them uncompetitive with farmers elsewhere. Without additional financial support, many farmers would be unable to sustain their businesses and the overall rural economy would suffer significantly.

Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003

The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 is an Act of the Scottish Parliament. It has three parts: it formalised the tradition in Scotland of unhindered access to open countryside, it introduced rights for communities to buy their land when it comes up for sale, and gave crofting communities the right to buy their land whether or not it has come up for sale.

The first part created a framework for responsible access to land and inland water, formalising the tradition in Scotland of unhindered access to open countryside, provided that care was taken not to cause damage or interfere with activities including farming.

The second part of the Act established the Community Right to Buy in order to allow communities with a population of less than 10,000 in Scotland to apply to register an interest in land and the opportunity to buy that land when it comes up for sale.

The third part of the Act gives crofting communities the right to buy,[5] in other words to acquire and control the croft land where they live and work and to acquire the interest of the tenant in tenanted land (interposed lease).

Stamp Duty Land Tax (Will be replaced by LBTT by 2015)

 Operates a 'slab' system of taxation, where the amount of the consideration determines a single rate of tax which is applied to the whole amount.

Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (Scotland) Act 2013

The Scottish Government has proposed a progressive tax structure, similar to the current income tax system, where slices of the transaction price will be taxed at increasing percentages.

II. Specific Issues

a) Change from Stamp Duty Land Tax to Land and Buildings Transaction Tax

Concerns have been raised from those involved with commercial property that the progressive nature of the tax will inevitably lead to increased tax for those operating at the upper end of the spectrum

b) Arguments for and against the Common Agricultural Policy

AGAINST CAP FOR CAP By ignoring the rules of supply and

demand, the Common Agricultural Policy is hugely wasteful. It leads to overproduction, forming mountains of surplus produce which are either destroyed or dumped on developing nations undermining the livelihoods of farmers there.

Eighty percent of CAP aid goes to just 25 percent of farms. The biggest slice of the subsidy pie is handed to the landed gentry, environment- destroying mega-farm and vast agro-industrial conglomerates.

It gives food security

Increasingly CAP is used to protect the rural environment. Farmers get more if they sign up to agro-environment commitments – using fewer chemicals; leaving boundaries uncultivated; maintaining ponds, trees and hedges; protecting wildlife.

III. Conclusion

The Scottish government projects a view that their agricultural economy is in the “transition” period but as it is, it is also hemorrhaging. It would seem that all the agrarian issues seem to pile up instead of being directly resolved, because instead of directly answering problems they introduce new policies that will only cause more confusion to the system. We understand that drastic measures must be made to step up with the growing issues, it is also the reason

why the change must be slowly done and not abruptly. Imperfections of policies must also be according to the kind of need of the people specially if it is at first generally used among other countries (CAP).

Group #3:

Valila, Mary Grace Castillo, Rennier IanPlaton, Alyssa MaeGeronimo, MarrolPerez, CarolynCaparal, SantiagoMagbitang, ZherCalma, Ievan