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.
Roundworms are typically controlled using anthelmintics, however, resistance to one or more of the 5 available drug classes is common on UK farms. Targeting our use of anthelmintics, by treating animals only when they require it, could slow the development of resistance and reduce chemical usage on farm. Faecal egg counts allow farmers to monitor whether animals require treatment, when to administer it and to check whether the treatment was effective.
During the creation of this virtual tour, we were welcomed to Fineview and the lush green gently sloping hills of Glenluce, an amazing innovative and award winning farm enterprise. The project brought farmers and researchers together to discuss the underpinning science, its application and utilisation in practice.
The Tarland Burn Catchment (~70 km2) has been studied since the year 2000 making it one of the longest running comprehensive catchment management case studies in the UK. Critically there has been core funding support through cycles of Scottish Government strategic research programmes in turn, enabling integration with UK and European projects.
The global food system is thought to account for around one third of global greenhouse emissions which contribute to climate change. It is estimated that food production, which includes growing, transport and processing, contributes to 15-30% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the UK.
In 2020, researchers and practitioners collaborated to better understand how inclusive growth can be conceptualised and measured across a large, diverse and predominantly rural region in the north and west of Scotland.
We all know that eating fish is good for health. Fish represents a great source of lean protein, unique omega- 3 fatty acids and bioavailable micronutrients which are often lacking in plant-based diets.
In an ever-changing world, it is essential that individuals are able to access, and act upon, the most relevant information and advice, and no more so than in agriculture. In this technologically-evolving age, finding information is not an issue, but finding information that is trustworthy, and in a format that is fit for purpose, can be challenging.
Alongside other activities, agriculture and food production are associated with the major pollutant gases, namely CO2 (carbon dioxide), CH4 (methane) and N2O (nitrous oxide). Unsustainable practices increase emissions and can have a direct impact on the functioning and health of our ecosystems.