Agriculture

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.

The theme for this year’s Arable Scotland is ‘Innovating for the Future’. There will be three ‘Arable Conversations’ which will focus on key topics affecting the industry.

SEFARI has a wee bit of ‘previous’ at BSAS, having organised, sponsored and hosted a number of sessions over the past few years, including a panel debate on ‘Can we have our meat and eat it?’ in 2019; a virtual One Health session at the height of COVID in 2021; and a session on ‘Reducing GHGs from animal agriculture’ in 2022.

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.

The food system, which includes agriculture, land use, storage, transport, packaging, processing, retail and consumption already accounts for 21-37% of total greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, if we are to meet the Scottish Government’s climate target by 2045, relying on conventional agriculture systems is no longer an option and we will need to work together to find alternative solutions.