NFU Scotland
production systems must therefore be robust to withstand this challenge. “However, there are still huge gaps in R&D across the agri-food sector and this is what Fera want to help address through Enigma projects,” he adds. Mr Thallon explains that knowledge exchange between Fera scientists and industry partners is a crucial element of Enigma to strengthen the connection between science and practical implementation. “Collaboration is key to the success of these projects. At Fera we’re fortunate enough to have access to a team that deliver worldclass science and have a strong alliance with leading organisations internationally that can deliver innovation. “It’s this knowledge, experience and expertise that we want to share with industry partners we work with to help build sustainable food production systems that are truly fit for the future,” he adds. The first Enigma project to launch, which will be cofunded by industry partners, will investigate Wireworm, a pest that affects potatoes and carrots, and increasingly other crops such as cereals, field beans, sugar beet, onions and maize. “The pattern of wireworm damage is changing, however the industry is yet to understand why and how these damage patterns are altering,” explains Larissa Collins, principal scientist of Enigma one and entomology team leader. “Fera has identified that R&D is required to understand in greater detail the lifecycle of wireworm to enable producers to successfully use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques to control the pest. Further research into the identification of wireworm species is also required. “We are therefore putting a call out to aligned industry partners who would be interested in co-funding this project or future Enigma projects to start moving the needle in vital research areas,” concludes Ms Collins. Find out more about Enigma: www.fera.co.uk/our-science/ enigma-research-model
Setting the record straight!
I am pleasantly surprised how little I noticed Veganuary this year writes NFU Scotland’s Livestock and LFA Policy Manager, Hannah Baker Yes, there were the inevitable inaccurate tweets and messages that we strove to correct, and the misleading information that we had to provide a balanced viewpoint for. But overall, it felt a lot quieter than I expected. This was Veganuary’s 9th year after it launched in 2014, and it is reportedly growing in success. However, even growing in success, it represents a small proportion (less than 1%) of the population and the majority of those supporting Veganuary are already vegan (as Professor Jude Capper points out, it’s just January for them). Undoubtedly this year has seen an increase in the numbers signing up, and the vegan options being offered by restaurants and take aways has grown again. Yet is this a reflection of the success of the campaign itself, or a broader reflection of the fact that vegetarian and flexitarian diets are an increasing trend regardless of this campaign? I don’t think anyone reading this would believe that the country eating “plant-based” would solve our climate change problems. Veganuary itself occurs in January - one of the worst months for the UK weather wise and a time when we do not have a lot of seasonal produce. The timing of
Hannah Baker, NFU Scotland’s Livestock and LFA Policy Manager
Veganuary encourages participants to buy food that is often highly processed and made from imported raw ingredients. This is one of the things that confuses me about the campaign, the almost blatant disregard for a healthy diet. The products that thrive in Scotland under the mantle of Veganuary are almost all junk food – this year’s new offerings included the McPlant Burger (McDonalds), the Tu’NAH Sandwich (Starbucks), and the PepperoNAY Pizza (Dominos) to name a few. All these products are a synthetic attempt to mimic real meat, rather than championing some seasonal vegetable or plant centerpiece. That is hardly an environmental triumph, and the health benefits are similarly dubious. What we need to do is encourage greater thought about what we are eating and where it comes from - a
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proper understanding of what Scotch red meat production entails and the benefits it brings to the country. This is the approach that QMS (with ADHB and HCC) have taken. Rather than attacking Veganuary head on they produced a campaign focusing on positive messages about red meat. It tackled some of the myths and presented the facts, with a particular focus on climate change and the importance of red meat in diets (especially for young women). If you haven’t had a chance to have a look I would urge you to do so, and to share the messaging as far and wide as you can throughout 2022: https:// www.qmscotland.co.uk/ sites/default/files/january_ toolkit_2022_medium_ resolution.pdf. Sadly, it sometimes feels like conveying the truth about our industry is like pushing water uphill, but that doesn’t mean we should stop! I come back to “locally sourced” and “in season” produce as the answer to almost every question around diet that there is, be that health, climate, welfare, or sustainability – and in Scotland our red meat ticks all those boxes. Now we just need to champion that, take pride in our industry, and continue to take steps to make it even better.
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