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.
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Research
Ongoing research (2022-2027)
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
The unique characteristics, challenges, and aspirations of the local business base, and opportunities for community wealth building in rural and island communities are examined. We focus on understanding the role of economic infrastructure in prosperity and consider how future changes to agricultural support may impact the rural and island regions of Scotland.
- Rural Economy
- 2022-2027
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
This project seeks to both understand and facilitate change in remote, rural and island communities working with stakeholders at local, regional and national levels using a combination of qualitative, quantitative and modelling approaches.
- Rural Communities
- 2022-2027
The Scotland’s Land Reform Futures project supports Scottish Government policy development regarding community land ownership and engagement in land use decision-making, and increases our understanding of roles of land ownership and land reform in achieving net zero emissions and reversing biodiversity decline. It advances social theory on community empowerment, social justice, and the potential for progressive property rights in Scotland.
- Land Reform
- 2022-2027
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
This project uses mixed data and methods, including participatory and experimental approaches and community engagement, to create an advanced model of Scotland’s rural economy, and provides insights into how the benefits of plausible and aspirational economic scenarios could overlap with community- and place-based assets. It assesses progress towards a green recovery and just transition.
- Rural Economy
- 2022-2027
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