Blog

In a previous blog article we described the development of the Cowtastrophy web app which was funded by the SEFARI Gateway’s Responsive Opportunity Fund. The main aim of the app is to communicate some of the key concepts which drive livestock disease control policies to a non-scientific audience.

Finding ways to reduce and cope with the impact of climate change is vital to us all. In this blog, SEFARI researchers outline their ongoing work to find new ways to help; firstly, discussing how grasses have an important role in carbon sequestration and then outlining how a better understanding of crop genetics will enable us to cope with climate change and improve food security.

In this blog, Professor Fiona Burnett of SRUC shares her experiences of agronomy (a branch of agricultural science that deals with the study of crops and the soils in which they grow). Fiona discusses integrated and sustainable ways of producing barley with growers who are concerned about the impact that fertiliser and pesticide inputs can have on the carbon footprint of the crop.

The challenge of envisioning the future climate of Scotland has been made easier due to a new set of climate change projections for the UK (UKCP18). Climate change is likely to substantially alter many aspects of our lives, our environment and economy. Therefore, it cuts across many policy domains and all sectors.

We are pleased that Bob Rees, Scotland’s Rural College is able discuss reducing greenhouse gas emissions from cropping systems. This post was originally published by the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (SPICe), who commissioned SEFARI to write a series of blogs to stimulate debate on this issue. SEFARI research takes a collaborative

We are pleased that Andrew Barnes and Vera Eory, Scotland’s Rural College are able to discuss the role of precision agriculture in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

We are pleased that Jennie Macdiarmid, the Rowett Institute is able to discuss the links between what we eat and our climate change commitments.

We are pleased that Philip Skuce, SEFARI Gateway and Moredun Research Institute and Michael MacLeod, Scotland’s Rural College are able to discuss how improving animal health can reduce the impact of livestock on climate change.

Following on from my earlier blog, the two workshops on extreme climate change scenarios were held at the James Hutton Institute on the 29^th of January and 5^th of February 2019, as planned.

The 2001 outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease in the United Kingdom led to the culling of over six million animals and cost an estimated £8bn.