RESPECT response to the Land Use Framework consultation

This document provides a response by the Rapid Engagement with Stressed Peatlands and Communities in Transformation (RESPECT) project to the UK Government’s consultation on a Land Use Framework. The response welcomes the ambition for a strategic, multifunctional approach to land use but raises concerns about the way the consultation document leans towards achieving multifunctionality through a land-sparing model, based on the idea that some land is set aside for environmental purposes whilst other land is used almost exclusively for production of food (as well as fuel and fibre). At its core, our response calls for place-based solutions; championing multifunctional approaches that are rooted at the local level and that seek to integrate farming and climate and nature benefits where possible. RESPECT highlights lessons from Scotland’s land reform and regional land use partnerships, calling for strong governance, community engagement, and equitable access to finance to align environmental and social outcomes. Lastly, the response stresses the importance of historical research data for contextualising and addressing current land use challenges, and the need to improve storage, accessibility and ongoing maintenance of data sets. The interdisciplinary RESPECT project is part of the Land Use for Net Zero, Nature and People (LUNZ) Hub and is funded by the UKRI Land Use for Net Zero programme. It aims to produce data, methods, landholder tools and proposals for governance reforms to change agricultural practices on peatland. RESPECT brings together researchers across Scotland and England with expertise in the natural and social sciences, humanities and law. RESPECT will also produce a Peatland Triage Tool (PTT), providing decision-support for landowners, land managers, farmers and crofters (collectively ‘landholders’) seeking to undertake peatland restoration.