The event opened with a packed parliamentary reception at Holyrood, where Emma Harper MSP welcomed delegates before remarks from Cabinet Secretary Mairi Gougeon, SEFARI Gateway Director Dr Charles Bestwick, and Scotland Food & Drink CEO Iain Baxter. Conversations quickly turned to climate change, collaboration and comparative advantage, the themes that shaped the conference.
The main programme at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh featured presentations on global trade, nutrition, climate-resilient crops, livestock innovation and food systems research. Speakers from across SEFARI (Moredun Research Institute, The Rowett Institute, SRUC and The James Hutton Institute), and beyond such as OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), Gates Foundation and FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) highlighted the complexity of feeding a growing population in a changing world, and the importance of partnerships that span disciplines and borders.
The final day offered delegates a chance to see research in action through site visits to some of the SEFARI institutes.
Across all three days, one message was clear: Scotland punches above its weight in food and agricultural research, and collaboration is essential if we are to build a food system that nourishes everyone, everywhere.
Blog written by Amy Cooper, SEFARI Communications and Engagement Officer
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Main image: Cabinet Secretary Mairi Gougeon by Chris Watt Photography