SEFARI – Scottish Environment, Food and Agriculture Research Institutions

SEFARI aims to deliver 'Leading Ideas for Better Lives', reflecting that publicly funded research in Scotland must ultimately deliver positive impact for individuals, whether in Scotland or elsewhere.

As a collective, we collaborate to deliver the Scottish Government funded Strategic Research Portfolio 2022-2027 on agriculture, environment, food, land and rural communities.

Case Studies

Science in Shetland: A Fast-Paced Week of Hands-on Learning and Knowledge Exchange about Disease Control

The Shetland Islands are some of the most remote Islands of the UK. Therefore, opportunities for hands-on STEM science and knowledge exchange of cutting-edge research can be challenging due to distance, weather and cost.

  • Science Education
  • Agriculture
  • Plant and Animal Health
  • Land and Communities
  • Rural Economy
  • SEFARI Gateway

Atlantic oak woodland functional biodiversity and restoration of PAWS

Scottish Atlantic oak woods or temperate rainforest are rare and threatened habitats that support a vast array of biodiversity, particularly lichens and bryophytes.

  • Climate and Environment
  • Plant and Animal Health

Community Wealth Building: Policy, Practice and Case studies

Community Wealth Building (CWB) is a people-centred approach to local economic development, which redirects wealth back int

  • Land and Communities
  • Rural Economy

What can we learn from AKIS policies in Europe?

Over the past decade, the European Commission has invested in a series of measures designed to support innovation in agriculture through networking all those involved in Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS):

  • Agriculture
  • Food & Drink Innovation
  • Rural Economy

Blog

31 Jan 2025

Managing Risk, Building Resilience and Reaping Rewards

In this blog, Lorna Dawson and Michelle McWilliams (Gateway Knowledge Brokers) share content from the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society (SAOS) conference at Crieff Hydro on the 16th January 2025, useful for anyone working in agriculture an

17 Jan 2025

Biodiversity Monitoring in Scotland: The Evolution of the Genetic Diversity Scorecard to Include Marine Habitats

Biodiversity conservation is essential for the sustainability of our planet.

News

23 Dec 2024

Funding Call: SEFARI Gateway Fellowship on best practice for permitted peat extraction and restoration

SEFARI Gateway is delighted to provide support for a new co-funded Fellowship with Scotch Whisky Association. We are seeking an individual researcher or small team of researchers to undertake an assessment and recommendation for best practice in licensed peat extraction and restoration.

2 Dec 2024

Funding Call: SEFARI Fellowship on Scotland’s environmental regulatory alignment with EU and other international environmental standards

SEFARI Gateway is delighted to provide support for a Fellowship with Environmental Standards Scotland (ESS).

27 Nov 2024

Funding Call: SEFARI Fellowship with Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) on Controlled Environmental Agriculture (CEA) in Rural and Island Communities

SEFARI Gateway is delighted to offer a Fellowship in collaboration with Highland and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Orkney Islands Council (OIC) to investigate business models for Controlled Environmental Agriculture (CEA) in rural and island communities (in the Highlands and Islands).  

27 Nov 2024

Funding Call: SEFARI Fellowship on the co-production of guidance to inform an ethical research protocol for the Community Landownership Academic Network (CLAN)

SEFARI Gateway is delighted to provide support for a new Fellowship in collaboration with the Community Landownership Academic Network (CLAN).

12 Nov 2024

Sustainable Farm Networks: Demo farm connectivity mission gathers momentum

The Sustainable Farm Networks initiative (SFN), linking diverse demonstration farm networks to meet to work together to improve communication between research, farm practice and food system policy, is gathering momentum.

Events

19 Mar 2025

Workshop on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Join SEFARI Gateway, Scotland's Centre of Expertise on Knowledge Exchange, for a networking event on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) with experts and industry leaders exploring sustainable POP-containing material management to inform policy and advance the circular economy.

13 Feb 2025

Healthy Soils for a Green Future

The Healthy Soils project team, funded through the Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services (RESAS) Division of the Scottish Government, is organising the third annual meeting to update key stakeholders and policy teams on progress.

26 Nov 2024

Science and the Parliament 2024

Science and the Parliament is organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry, on behalf of, and in cooperation with, the Scottish science and engineering community. The event is designed to foster close relations with policymakers and key stakeholders.

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