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The number of new largescale community land acquisitions has slowed over the past ten years. Largely, respondents in this research suggested this was less to do with a decrease in demand, but rather an increase in barriers to acquisition. Barriers identified by respondents were:

• Stretched community capacity and insufficient support from external 
  organisations;
• Lack of ongoing support for the acquisition from local residents;
• Insufficient available funding, and constraining conditions on its use;
• Overcomplicated and ineffectual legislative mechanisms for acquisition;
• Reliance on a willing and cooperative seller;
• Lack of appetite for risk both within the local community and from 
  funders.

Suggested solutions include:

• Increasing institutional support and community capacity;
• Improving promotion and communication of previous successes;
• Strengthening and simplifying legislative mechanisms;
• Improving and promoting routes to community empowerment short of ownership;
• Enhancing availability of funding and support for the acquisition process.

The vast majority of the thirty-four largescale community land acquisitions are located in two Local Authority areas – Western Isles and Highland – accounting for over 75% of acquisitions and over 94% of hectarage between them. The majority of these assets are crofting estates, followed by woodlands. While these assets and locations continue to dominate the largescale community land sector, in recent years there have been very few such acquisitions. Instead, different types of asset, including nature reserves, have emerged in different Local Authority areas. This may indicate a diversification of the types of largescale community land asset being acquired, but overall there has been a reduction in both the number of and hectarage of largescale community land acquisitions over the past ten years. The concept of ‘demand’ itself was considered elusive and very difficult to accurately gauge, due to it being significantly affected by the combination of favourable conditions required for a largescale acquisition. Thus, while 
it is not possible to accurately measure levels of demand over time, it can be stated confidently that there remains a level of demand for largescale community land acquisitions which has not resulted in acquisitions.

Case study: Why are large community buyouts slowing down? And why are there places where they never got started? | SEFARI

Demand for large-scale community land ownership in Scotland remains strong, but the rate of new acquisitions is slowing. Further, most large-scale acquisitions are concentrated in the Highlands and Islands, with much of Scotland seeing little activity. 
This SEFARI Gateway Fellowship identifies a consistent set of barriers, including limited community capacity, complex processes and constrained funding, which are preventing further progress.
By clarifying where and why these challenges arise, the findings provide practical insights and can support community organisations, support bodies and funders seeking to unlock future community ownership.

18 June 2026 -The Scottish Government has announced £150,000 funding to help Scotland become a world leader in animal health, aquaculture and agritech (AAA).

This is expected to support high-value jobs, particularly in rural and coastal communities, while driving export growth, inward investment and productivity.

Minister for Agriculture, Marine and the Islands Jim Fairlie announced the funding today (18 June) at the Royal Highland Show.

It coincides with publication of a new report highlighting the significant contribution the sector could make to economic growth, food security and climate resilience.

Mr Fairlie said: “Scotland’s animal health, aquaculture and agritech sector represents a significant and growing part of our wider life sciences mix and is central to our ambition to grow the sector to £25bn turnover by 2035.

“This report highlights that, with the right investment and coordination, AAA can become one of Scotland’s most distinctive and internationally relevant innovation opportunities. This could deliver economic, environmental and social value, while contributing to global food, health and sustainability challenges.

“I’m pleased to announce that the Scottish Government is committing £150,000 funding to help realise the opportunities set out in the new report.”

The report was funded by SEFARI Gateway, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Scottish Enterprise (SE) and South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE).

It highlights a clear opportunity for Scotland to develop a more visible, coordinated and internationally competitive AAA sector. This would involve sustained collaboration across government, enterprise agencies, industry, funders and research organisations.

Director of SEFARI Gateway Dr Charles Bestwick said: “It’s been a pleasure working with Scotland’s enterprise agencies and three of our SEFARI research institutes on this major piece of work, which reveals exciting opportunities for the AAA sector in Scotland.

“We have the chance to grasp huge economic and innovation benefits at local to international scale, cementing an ability to nurture new, grow existing and attract international AAA enterprises. At the same time this would improve our capability to tackle issues such as climate resilience and food security.

“As the report shows, there are challenges in achieving this, but Scotland is well placed to compete with global leaders such as Norway and the Middle East. We hope this report will provide the foundation for action to make that happen.”

The report has been published by the Moredun Research Institute, The James Hutton Institute and Scotland’s Rural College. It was developed in collaboration with the Life Sciences Scotland Industry Leadership Group AAA sub-group.

Co-chair of the sub-group and director (Scotland) at Pioneer Group John Mackenzie said: “We are excited to see this report launched and look forward to driving its recommendations forward through more coordinated leadership, increased collaboration and co-created innovation, targeted investment and stronger routes to international markets, where Scotland has a highly competitive value proposition.

Drawing on insights from workshops and a sector-wide survey, the research confirms that Scotland has a strong and investable AAA sector, with the potential to make a significant contribution to economic growth, innovation, exports, food security and climate resilience.”

The growing AAA sector includes organisations working in livestock health, seafood production, and development of novel technologies for agriculture. It involves more than 200 organisations and businesses and is part of the broader Scottish Life Sciences sector, which aims to grow its turnover to £25 billion by 2035.

The report, Scotland’s Animal Health, Aquaculture and Agritech (AAA) Sector: Baseline Assessment, Structural Challenges and Strategic Opportunities, describes Scotland's internationally recognised research capability, strong base of Small and Medium Enterprises and larger companies, established aquaculture and agricultural industries, specialist infrastructure, and a collaborative culture across research, industry and public agencies.

The team behind the report, led by Charlotte Burgess, head of business development at Moredun Research Institute, conclude: “With the right investment and coordination, AAA can become one of Scotland’s most distinctive and internationally relevant innovation opportunities, delivering economic, environmental and social value for Scotland while contributing to research into global food, health and sustainability challenges.”

For more information:

Charlotte Burgess (head of business development, Moredun Research Institute): charlotte.burgess@moredun.ac.uk

Jenny Fyall (SEFARI): jenny.fyall@sefari.scot

The report is available here: Scotland’s Animal Health, Aquaculture and Agritech (AAA) Sector: Baseline Assessment, Structural Challenges and Strategic Opportunities - Full Report | SEFARI

Emerging climate-smart technologies will need to play a key role in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from beef production, however, their impact at farm level is not fully quantified. Modelling using real Scottish beef farm data demonstrated that three emerging climate-smart technologies: feed additives (including bolus), microbiome-driven breeding and GreenShed (a methane capturing cattle shed that utilises waste products to power the shed and grow indoor crops) reduced both whole farm and product emissions across all farms.

Found out more about the project here: Data driven innovations for improved sustainability of ruminant productions systems | SEFARI

Current commercially available precision livestock farming (PLF) technologies have the potential to indirectly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from beef farms by improving production efficiency. Modelling based on real Scottish beef farm data showed that three PLF technologies - automatic weighing platforms, health sensors, and fertility sensors - reduced emission intensities on average, although impacts varied across production systems and technologies.

Find out more about the project here: Data driven innovations for improved sustainability of ruminant productions systems | SEFARI

Author: Cathy Hawes

This project assessed how Scotland’s Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) can support a just transition to sustainable and regenerative agriculture. It found that while strong technical expertise and active farmer networks exist, the system is fragmented and lacks the coordination, long-term funding and transition-focused support required for whole-farm change. Farmers rely heavily on peer learning and practical experience rather than formal advisory systems. The research highlights the need for a more coherent, relational and well-resourced AKIS to enable meaningful and inclusive agricultural transformation.

^{Photo credit: Luz Maria Lozada}