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Research

Research

A multi-million pound programme of strategic research delivered over five years providing science and evidence to support policymakers and its partners. Informed by strong partnerships and the needs of a broad range of stakeholders. Science at the heart of society contributing to the health, wealth and wellbeing of Scotland and beyond.

Plant and Animal Health

Protecting Plant and Animal Health to underpin our globally competitive economy and ambition to be a Good Food Nation

Sustainable Food Supply System

Leading the way to a Sustainable Food System and Supply contributing to the economy, livelihoods and the health of Scotland

Human Impacts on the Environment

Supporting the large-scale and coordinated transition to net zero and reduction of Human Impacts on the Environment

Natural Resources

Protecting, valuing and optimising the multiple benefits we recieve from our vital Natural Resources

Rural Futures

Committed to empowered, inclusive and resilient Rural Futures for Scotland’s rural and island communities

Ongoing research (2022-2027)

Displaying 11 - 18 of 18
Hemp: a climate resilient crop for the future of Scottish agriculture
Hemp project picture

The Scottish Government's Climate Change Plan includes reference to carbon sequestration options for agriculture. This project research supports hemp, a climate resilient crop, for stimulating Scottish farming sector to run greenhouse gas removal activities, identifying opportunities for the Scottish food and drink sector to promote sustainability and by understanding nutrition sufficiency and consumer acceptance of hemp food as part of low carbon footprint diet.

  • Crop Improvement
  • 2022-2027
Novel Multi-Sector Approaches to Provenance and Food Tracking for use in Distributed Ledger Protocols

This project is designed to develop Distributed Ledger (blockchain) compatible methods – based on DNA and chemical analysis – to determine provenance across key Scottish produce and sectors to protect the safety, integrity, and quality of the food chain and the environment and the status of key Scottish produce. It is pertinent to the UK's EU exit and large-scale shifts in international food trade.

  • Food & Drink Improvements
  • 2022-2027
Reimagined policy futures: Shaping sustainable, inclusive and just rural and island communities in Scotland

This project combines large-scale citizen science through a new Rural Exchange, secondary data analysis, in-depth qualitative work with stakeholders and rural and island communities, policy reviews, and international learning. The project provides recommendations for new and re-designed policy interventions to ensure sustainable, inclusive and just futures for rural and island communities. 

  • Rural Communities
  • 2022-2027
Supply-chain-driven food and drink reformulation to achieve Scotland's dietary and climate targets

This project contributes towards supporting Scotland’s dietary and climate targets though supply-chain-driven food and drink reformulation. This will be achieved through developing new supply chain networks for crops that can be sustainably produced in Scotland. We are developing innovative prototype products for multi-sector use, which we will widely disseminate to encourage wider adoption.

  • Food & Drink Improvements
  • 2022-2027
Demographic Change in Remote Areas

This research deliverable addresses the following question: What are the links between trends in farming/crofting/key rural industries and population change, in sparsely populated rural areas, and how do these affect the resilience of rural communities? The project will consider recent trends (since 1991) and will formulate scenarios for the period up to 2050.

  • Rural Communities
  • 2016-2022
Livestock genetic improvement tools

The aim of this RD is to improve livestock production, efficiency and welfare, whilst decreasing the use of resources and impact on the environment. This will be achieved using current and next generation tools, focussing on genomics and targeted gene approaches for production (growth, efficiency), maternal and health characteristics (including economically important endemic diseases).

  • Livestock Improvement
  • 2016-2022
Local Assets, Local Decisions and Community Resilience

This research aims to examine how resilience in rural communities can be enhanced through processes of local empowerment and the role of wider networks and partnerships in facilitating the enhancement of resilience. It will also consider how stakeholders’ (including academics, policymakers, practitioners and communities) understandings of rural community resilience can be developed to create collaborative initiatives in the future.

  • Rural Communities
  • 2016-2022
Place-based policy and its implications for policy and service delivery

Place-based policy and rural Scotland: To improve current understanding of (i) the main reasons for differences in economic performance and social outcomes across rural areas and small towns of Scotland, and (ii) how policies can help to deliver positive outcomes and address these disparities.

  • Rural Communities
  • 2016-2022

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