This booklet represents the collated outputs from a SEFARI Gateway-funded Fellowship, undertaken by Dr Gemma Miller, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) with the National Farmers Union Scotland (NFUS). The SEFARI Gateway Fellowships embed a researcher or team of Portfolio-funded researchers with a policy team, agency or sector organisation, with a key focus on working in partnership to deliver to Scotland’s National Outcomes and Sustainable Development Goals.
The Soil Sentinel is a new newsletter circulated every four months as part of Healthy Soils, a five year Scottish Governement funded project delivered as part of the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Strategic Research Portfolio (2022-2027). The Soil Sentinel will provide project highlights and its work with input from other Scottish Government funded projects and stakeholders.
A SEFARI Gateway-funded Specialist Advisory Group brought together a broad range of expertise across key industry stakeholders, Government Policy Leads and relevant SEFARI researchers to discuss livestock health and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), to prioritise health conditions that have the greatest impact on emissions and to identify practical disease intervention strategies and pathways to impact that will encourage uptake across the industry. The Group conducted an online workshop on the 24th of November 2020.
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The Royal Highland Show represents one of the key gatherings for the Portfolio, exemplifying its role in partnering research and expertise with and across policy, industry and communities.
In this booklet find out about a range of our activities during the 2022 show (23rd-26th June). Activities are taking place across the showground, at venues such as the Scottish Government Pavilion and the SEFARI Institute Pavilions, and a map is included at the back of the booklet.
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Interest in carbon markets has increased rapidly in recent months, leading to new market opportunities and interest in acquiring land to invest in natural capital, typically through tree planting and restoration of degraded peatland habitats. However, the extent to which natural capital investment is driving transactions is unclear, with owners and purchasers potentially influenced by many factors. There is also uncertainty around how large-scale land acquisitions might interact with post-Brexit policies under development across the UK and the interests of rural communities.
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Interest in carbon markets has increased rapidly in recent months, leading to new market opportunities and interest in acquiring land to invest in natural capital, typically through tree planting and restoration of degraded peatland habitats. However, the extent to which natural capital investment is driving transactions is unclear, with owners and purchasers potentially influenced by many factors. There is also uncertainty around how large-scale land acquisitions might interact with post-Brexit policies under development across the UK and the interests of rural communities.
Research Briefing
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People will have different understandings about the range of benefits a woodland can offer, and some people might prefer one type of benefit over another. To understand how these factors are interconnected, researchers from The James Hutton Institute are researching woodlands in different parts of Scotland: in the Central Belt (North Lanarkshire), on the west coast (Argyll), and in the Highlands.
This report presents the results of a research workshop that was undertaken in relation to the Loch Arkaig Pine Forest.
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People will have different understandings about the range of benefits a woodland can offer, and some people might prefer one type of benefit over another. To understand how these factors are interconnected, researchers from The James Hutton Institute are researching woodlands in different parts of Scotland: in the Central Belt (North Lanarkshire), on the west coast (Argyll), and in the Highlands.
This report presents the results of a research workshop that was undertaken in relation to the Glen Creran Woods.
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People will have different understandings about the range of benefits a woodland can offer, and some people might prefer one type of benefit over another. To understand how these factors are interconnected, researchers from The James Hutton Institute are researching woodlands in different parts of Scotland: in the Central Belt (North Lanarkshire), on the west coast (Argyll), and in the Highlands.
This report presents the results of a research workshop that was undertaken in relation to the Glasdrum Wood National Nature Reserve.
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People will have different understandings about the range of benefits a woodland can offer, and some people might prefer one type of benefit over another. To understand how these factors are interconnected, researchers from The James Hutton Institute are researching woodlands in different parts of Scotland: in the Central Belt (North Lanarkshire), on the west coast (Argyll), and in the Highlands.
This report presents the results of a research workshop that was undertaken in relation to the Cumbernauld Glen.
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People will have different understandings about the range of benefits a woodland can offer, and some people might prefer one type of benefit over another. To understand how these factors are interconnected, researchers from The James Hutton Institute are researching woodlands in different parts of Scotland: in the Central Belt (North Lanarkshire), on the west coast (Argyll), and in the Highlands.
This report presents the results of a research workshop that was undertaken in relation to the Cumbernauld Forest Wood.
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People will have different understandings about the range of benefits a woodland can offer, and some people might prefer one type of benefit over another. To understand how these factors are interconnected, researchers from The James Hutton Institute are researching woodlands in different parts of Scotland: in the Central Belt (North Lanarkshire), on the west coast (Argyll), and in the Highlands.
This report presents the results of a research workshop that was undertaken in relation to the Tom an Eirannaich woodland near the community of Clunes.
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Interest in carbon markets has increased rapidly in recent months, leading to new market opportunities and interest in acquiring land to invest in natural capital, typically through tree planting and restoration of degraded peatland habitats. However, the extent to which natural capital investment is driving transactions is unclear, with owners and purchasers potentially influenced by many factors. There is also uncertainty around how large-scale land acquisitions might interact with post-Brexit policies under development across the UK and the interests of rural communities.
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Summary report, March 2022
Highlights
The Scottish Government Programme for Government (2021/22) commits to the creation of Regional Land Use Partnerships (RLUPs) and Regional Land Use Framework (RLUFs), as set out in the Land Use Strategy. In spring 2021 it announced five pilot Partnerships for testing approaches and practicalities, with particular reference to governance and local engagement.
Appendices to the SEFARI report on ‘The adoption of agroecological principles in Scottish farming and their contribution towards agricultural sustainability and resilience.’ This Agroecology in Scotland is understood differently by different people and at times contrary to what constitutes agroecology.
Agroecology in Scotland is understood differently by different people and at times contrary to what constitutes agroecology.
In the face of COVID-19 and the immediate (and anticipated) impact on the food and drink sector across rural Scotland, the Scottish Environment Food Agriculture Research Institutes (SEFARI) and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) established the SEFARI supported knowledge exchange ‘COVID-19 Food and Drink Sector Think Tank for Scotland’s Rural Economy’. The Specialist Advisory Group (SAG) was set up with a core membership and also with the intention of accessing ‘expert advisors’ and wider stakeholders.
This report has been developed with the aim of:
Environmental Standards Scotland (ESS) is being established as a new non-ministerial office to monitor Scottish public authorities’ compliance with, and the effectiveness of, environmental law following the UK’s departure from the EU. It will be independent of the Scottish Government and will be responsible for ensuring that public authorities in Scotland comply with environmental law.