An attempt to set a 10-year target for organic farming has been rejected by the Scottish Parliament.

Environment Minister Ross Finnie said during debate at Holyrood that the Scottish Executive would not back the legislation, which was brought forward by Robin Harper.

The Green MSP defended his "small and beautiful" bill and pleaded with MSPs to back it after insisting the target was not binding.

But he lost the vote by 61 to 39, with 18 abstentions.

Robin Harper worked on the bill for three years

The Organic Farming Targets (Scotland) Bill would have forced ministers to publish targets to convert 20% of farmland to organic farming within 10 years.

At present only 7% of farmland qualifies as organic in Scotland.

Mr Finnie said he could not support the bill because it contained statutory targets and the executive had no control over the sector.

He said: "It is simply bad law-making to make the Scottish Executive statutorily responsible for targets which are not within its control.

"This applies no matter what level of statutory targets are set."

Mr Finnie said the executive backed the sector and pointed out that he had launched an action plan on Tuesday which said Scottish farms could meet 70% of the demand for organic products in Scotland.

But Mr Harper urged MSPs to back the bill, saying other countries, including Wales and Sweden, had set targets.

He said he was "disappointed" the Rural Development Committee had refused to endorse the bill.

Mr Harper said: "The target is where we ought to be heading - our destination. The action plan is the means of getting there - the map if you like.

Ross Finnie said the bill could not be supported

"I cannot believe it would be considered sensible to have one without the other."

He went on: "The executive cannot control production. Of course not. But they can and should encourage it."

Mr Harper added: "The bill does not bind ministers to achieving targets. What it does is to bind ministers to taking action towards that target. Any target can only be aspirational."

Mr Harper's bill was the result of three years work by a group of people variously connected with organic farming.

It had the support of over 80 organic businesses and environmental organisations.

A MORI Scotland poll of 1001 people published last weekend found 68% of people supported an increase in organic farming while, 64% said it was important for the executive to set targets.