Dr Dave McBey

David's work is concerned with sustainable and healthy diets, and how behaviour change may be accomplished in all parts of the food system. He is currently studying the pathways to healthy and sustainable diets in Scotland. Using a wide toolkit of qualitative methods, David is unpicking the barriers, whether real or perceived, to diet change.

 

Previously, he has worked in the University of Aberdeen Environmental Modelling Group, looking at agricultural practices in China and Ethiopia.

Dave McBey

The Rowett Institute
Foresterhill House
Ashgrove Rd W
Aberdeen
AB25 2ZD

Making silk purses out of sows’ ears – challenges facing a Scottish pig farmer

Scotland’s pork sector is under financial pressure. One way to address this could be to increase the value added to Scottish pork. This case study, which focusses on a Scottish pork producer, provides insights into an enterprise serving the high value pork products market and the challenges it faces.

Scotland Europe Initiative Workshop: Agriculture

Agriculture is a devolved competence and post-Brexit the Scottish Government (SG) chose to make its own arrangements for replacing support payments to farmers which were previously governed through the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill was introduced to the Scottish Parliament on 28 September 2023. The Bill commits SG to consult on the nature of the support, the purposes of which are

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Low-intensity cereal rotation and organic production can reduce the risk of mycotoxin contamination in oats

Mycotoxins are naturally occurring toxins produced by fungal infection of agricultural crops. Several hundred mycotoxins have been characterized in a wide range of food crops around the world, and new mycotoxins and mycotoxin metabolites are continuously discovered. Mycotoxins can cause adverse health effects in humans including cancer, gastrointestinal disturbances or suppression of the immune system.

Measurement of Antimicrobial Usage: What Can We Learn Across Livestock Sectors?

Microbes (e.g., bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi) can become resistant to clinical or veterinary drugs (antimicrobials) that are used to treat disease. This has major consequences for how microbial diseases are managed and, therefore, how antimicrobial compounds should be used. Measuring antimicrobial usage (AMU) is a way to monitor the amount of medicines/chemicals that enter the food-chain, and the environment and this could help to reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Potatoes in Practice 2023

There will be commercial breeders showcasing the latest varieties, machinery on show, agronomists demonstrating what's new in crop protection and researchers discussing their most recent findings.

More details, and how to register, can be found here.

 

PROGRAMME

09:00-10:00 Field Plot Tours

10:00-10:30 Working Demonstration

10:30-11:00 Seminar 1: Building Resilience Through Understanding the True Value of Potato Supply Chains

10th August 2023 - 09:00 to 15:30

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‘Pick-a-Mix’ helps you find the sweet spot for growing crop mixtures

Intercropping - where two or more crop species are grown simultaneously on the same piece of land – could provide one solution: intercrops increase diversity at the scale of entire fields and have the potential to boost production with fewer inputs. There are many ways in which intercropping can be practiced, ranging from mixtures harvested together for use as ‘whole crops’ or for separation post-harvest, to relay intercrops grown together but harvested on separate dates, through to unharvested companion crops supporting the growth of the main cash crop.

Insects as animal feed in Scotland: poised for growth?

As the global population grows, the demand for livestock products increases, but traditional livestock farming practices can have an environmental impact. The amount of land required for grazing, the large amounts of water and feed needed, and the greenhouse gas emissions associated with livestock farming contribute to deforestation, water scarcity, and climate change. Insects, on the other hand, have the potential to be a sustainable source of protein for human consumption and animal feed.