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

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 NFU Scotland 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

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 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 Hannah Baker, messages about red meat. NFU Scotland’s Livestock It tackled some of the myths and LFA Policy Manager and presented the facts, with a particular focus on Veganuary encourages climate change and the participants to buy food that importance of red meat in is often highly processed diets (especially for young and made from imported raw women). If you haven’t had ingredients. a chance to have a look I This is one of the things would urge you to do so, that confuses me about and to share the messaging the campaign, the almost as far and wide as you can blatant disregard for a throughout 2022: https:// healthy diet. The products www.qmscotland.co.uk/ that thrive in Scotland under sites/default/files/january_ the mantle of Veganuary toolkit_2022_medium_ are almost all junk food – resolution.pdf. this year’s new offerings Sadly, it sometimes feels included the McPlant Burger like conveying the truth about (McDonalds), the Tu’NAH our industry is like pushing Sandwich (Starbucks), and water uphill, but that doesn’t the PepperoNAY Pizza mean we should stop! (Dominos) to name a few. I come back to “locally All these products are sourced” and “in season” a synthetic attempt to produce as the answer mimic real meat, rather to almost every question than championing some around diet that there is, be seasonal vegetable or plant that health, climate, welfare, centerpiece. That is hardly or sustainability – and in an environmental triumph, Scotland our red meat ticks and the health benefits are all those boxes. similarly dubious. Now we just need to What we need to do is champion that, take pride in encourage greater thought our industry, and continue to about what we are eating take steps to make it even and where it comes from - a better.