Blog

Even though COP26 is now over, there is still a strong focus on initiatives being taken by countries to address climate change. Scotland is committed to reaching net zero by 2045 and to delivering leadership and collaboration within the global response to tackling climate change. In this blog, Lorna highlights her work in the creation of new resources which outline what is going on across the Centres of Expertise (CoE) to inform and support policy for climate action. Collation of this material from across the Centres was funded by SEFARI Gateway.

As the recent COP26 Gender Day in Glasgow has highlighted, there is much work to be done in increasing diversity and inclusion in the climate sector. Diverse voices are incredibly important in tackling all aspects of a changing climate, and these voices must be heard and valued. With this and a commitment to achieving a Just Transition to Net Zero in mind, SEFARI have asked me to share my experiences in this blog.

COP26, the United Nations Climate Change conference held in Glasgow, ended on Saturday the 13th of November. Since then, there has been a lot of stock taking as to what was achieved under the Glasgow Climate Pact. Several gains emerged in the first week of the conference, with the announcement of collective action on deforestation, coal, finance and methane.

Scotland’s pollinators are a vital part of the country’s biodiversity and crucial for agricultural productivity. Globally, 75% the world’s crops rely on animal pollinators and these crops account for 35% of global food production.

With the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) underway, there is a spotlight on initiatives being taken by countries to address climate change. Do you want to know what Scotland is doing about it? Then join us on a virtual tour of some of SEFARI’s fascinating climate research.

In September, colleagues from the Moredun Research Institute, SEFARI Gateway, the Food and Drink Federation Scotland (FDF Scotland), Royal Highland Educational Trust (RHET) and Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) outlined a wealth of educational resources that cover the sustainability of key resources such as food, water, and energy. A key priority for the younger generation especially with COP26 on the horizon, and on our doorstep!

In this blog, we investigate how farmers interact on the online platform Twitter, with the aim of helping scientists to better facilitate mutual learning and support good farm practice.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally. In 2019 it was estimated that 17.9 million people died from CVD, representing 32% of all deaths globally. Poor diet can be a contributor to non-communicable diseases such as CVD; particularly diets that are rich in sugar, salt and unhealthy fats.

This blog discusses SEFARI research which is aiming to identify specific dietary changes that could affect our gut bacteria and our ageing brains. The composition and/or activity of our gut bacteria could help to maintain a healthy brain, and perhaps prevent, or at least slow down, the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

An emergent model of food redistribution, social supermarkets (SSMs), hold considerable potential for facilitating social development in deprived areas while diverting food waste. SSMs take high quality surplus food, not sellable in the mainstream market, and provide it to low-income consumers for greatly discounted prices in a more dignified shopping experience. In this blog, Aiden Berri and Luiza Toma discuss how their research has found consumers’ intentions to use a SSM are influenced by a variety of factors which combine their food insecurity and food waste attitudes.