AUTUMN EDITION | 2023
Supporting sustainable growth
IN THIS ISSUE
A NORTH WEST PERSPECTIVE
NET ZERO ARRAN
A CONVERSATION WITH ADAM BEDFORD
KEEPING YOU UPDATED AND PREPARED FOR CHALLENGES AHEAD
Contents 3
Introduction
13
Andrew Lacey
A conversation with... Adam Bedford
4
A North West perspective
16
Crofting: The three legged stool Niall Campbell
6
Capturing impact and evidence through collecting data on-farms
Rebecca Audsley and Zach Reilly 18
Huw Jones
8
Insect farming: A novel approach for future sustainable agriculture?
Farming of the future: Regenerative agriculture
Measuring methane emissions from sheep Nicola Lambe
20
The state of wellbeing: Herd health Tim Geraghty
Sarah Buckingham
10
Net zero Arran
22
Alex Pirie
11
Turning the tide on lapwing decline Jennifer Struthers
Staff spotlight Kirstyn Blackwood
23
Staff spotlight Brady Stevens
Introduction Welcome to the sixth edition of Perspectives! As ever, we bring the full breadth of our work to you in this issue with updates across a range of diverse topics. ANDREW LACEY, VICE PRINCIPAL COMMERCIAL & HEAD OF SAC CONSULTING Tim Geraghty shares his thoughts on connecting herd health
A feature of farming is that there is plenty of data to gather
and productivity, demonstrating how herd health can impact
and measure but making useful comparisons can be very
both your bottom line and your carbon efficiency. Sarah
difficult. Farms are all different by their nature. Let’s recognise
Buckingham sets out the status of alternative feed protein
the complexity as we develop new agricultural policy in
from insects - a sector that is already pushing forward globally,
Scotland. In this issue Huw Jones discusses how such an
and at pace - and we have Jennifer Struthers and Alex Pirie
approach will help Farmers manage their decision making with
sharing great examples of where farmers are doing brilliant
a view to also meeting the needs of society and the priorities
work to restore biodiversity to the lands that they farm.
of government.
Our regional spotlight this issue comes from the Northwest
In our interview we talk to Adam Bedford, a prominent
witha look at how to successfully address the future of
advocate for the transfer of knowledge into the agriculture
crofting policy collaboratively with crofters. We also get into
sector. Adam’s new role has a strong resonance with the SRUC
wider areas. Regenerative practices mean different things to
model of taking research into the field. It is important that we
different people. Often, practices invoked as a new approach
actively seek knowledge from other institutions to pass on to
are best practices from decades past. What matters is the
those we work with - as ever, we aim to act as a conduit for
context and what works in each unique part of the country. To
knowledge from wherever best practice and new ideas
that end, in this issue Zach Reilly summarises a piece of work
emerge.
over three years working with five farmers in Angus on their journey to becoming increasingly regenerative, under the
Lastly, many thanks to all the subscribers and customers for
‘Farming for a Better Climate’ initiative.
dropping by at the Highland and regional shows over the past few months. It’s been great to catch up, get your feedback and
Within Scotland, a shift toward conditional based payments
to be involved in helping you take your business forward.
continues. Scottish Government have reinforced their commitment to this approach and have provided guidance about the transition period up to 2025. The system will mature over time but is sure to have a dependency on data from farms, such as soil health, land use, herd information or emissions activities.
Get in touch andrew.lacey@sac.co.uk
3
A North West perspective
Crofting: The three
legged stool
The future of our landscapes, rural economies and the nation’s food chains are intricately linked to the survival of our crofters. How can crofts thrive and prosper while also being expected to deliver on the aspirations of Government policy? NIALL CAMPBELL, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, NORTH WEST SCOTLAND Crofts produce food, support biodiversity and manage carbon
Not tomention concerns over labour and attracting, as well as
so on the face of it, there should be a perfect unison between
retaining, new entrants into crofting.
our crofters and Government policy. All of this has come at once, causing growing concern across However, striking the right balance is difficult, and all too often
the sector about what Government policy will look like post
the approach to policy development is modelled on larger
2025, and what future support will exist for crofting.
farming systems. We need to change our approach to crofting, thinking of it as a three-legged stool; producing food, promoting biodiversity, and managing carbon in equal measure. What would happen if our policy makers got it wrong? The reality is this could push (and in many cases is already pushing) active crofting over the edge and could have serious consequences for many. Crofts need to be financially viable. The crofter needs to be able to pay the associated costs of managing livestock, growing crops and see a return on the time they have personally invested. We now live in a world that has become increasingly volatile for our farmers and crofters. As they face challenges such as extreme weather events, input price rises or regular ferry disruptions for those living and working on islands.
Perspectives | Autumn 2023
“
Crofters want to be agriculturally active and are quite rightly proud and passionate about the food and landscape they produce.
”
Although considered small producers, crofters play a key role in
They can also look to techniques such as rotational grazing to
managing our land and producing high quality livestock to our
improve both livestock output, and biodiversity.
supply chains. They may individually be small, but there are a lot of them. The public, though they may not be aware of it, need
Similarly, our policy makers must seek to fully understand the
the vibrant and unique crofting community in order to support
challenges faced by crofters and small farms, designing policy
food supply, natural capital management and carbon capture.
from the outset that takes their unique situation into account. Additionally, there needs to be a front loading of farm support,
Confidence is eroding fast in our crofting communities, and
incentivising small producers to act positively where policies
our policy makers must provide much more detail on what the
around biodiversity and climate change are concerned.
new agricultural bill will entail. Crofters are feeling increasingly ignored, struggling to rise above all the noise and are in desperate need of some assurance that their voices are both valued, and heard. The solution, as always, is compromise. In return, crofters do need to modernise their thinking in line with the high-level
“Many of my colleagues in SAC Consulting living in the communities where they work, are active crofters and smallholders in their own right. So we are well placed to understand both sides of the argument.”
demands of today’s world and government’s ambitious targets. However, at the same time, policy makers must factor crofters
Finally, The Crofting Commission could be a lot tougher on
and other small farming business into their thinking and
vacant or non-active crofts – there is plenty of demand out
decision making, from the outset.
there from new entrants, and active crofting brings more vibrance and fresh perspectives into rural communities.
So, what can be done and how can we make sure we all get the best out of this situation?
Above all else, it is key that we all pull together and ensure balance in the three legs of the stool. Crofters want to be
For a start, crofters should look to engage with the biodiversity
agriculturally active and are quite rightly proud and passionate
challenge, become more confident and prouder of the high
about the food and landscape they produce. So if policy
nature value farming systems that they operate. By doing this
makers work with them and get it right, the future is bright.
we will change the way we are understood, and biodiversity will be viewed as a core output of crofting systems, and not
Niall Campbell is the Regional Manager for SAC Consulting in
just a by-product.
the North West and is also an active smallholder.
Our crofters must also embrace new technologies and techniques. For example, cattle collars will revolutionise the
Get in touch
way we graze and manage our livestock, creating multiple
niall.campbell@sac.co.uk
benefits for both animal efficiency and habitat management.
5
Capturing impact and evidence through collecting data on-farms At times it feels that the agriculture industry is under more pressure than ever before. Production costs have increased dramatically, whilst output prices have very rarely followed suit. Pressure to reduce any negative environmental impacts is at an all-time high, and the welfare of our livestock is continually under the microscope. I strongly believe that the best response to such pressure is to innovate, adapt and evidence the good work we are doing. HUW JONES, HEAD OF INDUSTRY AND PARTNERSHIPS, SRUC
that easy.
As the quality of data being collected on farms improves, we are seeing a rise in the use of onfarm information helping to drive innovation. This brings with the opportunity to reliably quantify the impact of any on-farm improvements that are being adopted.
Over the last decade we have seen a growing focus on
We are also seeing growing interest in developing more joined
developments in Agri-tech, like electronic tagging, advanced
up thinking. Measurements are being taken and stored in such
sensors, digital cameras, use of satellite imaging, the wireless
a way that it’s not only useful for its intended primary purpose,
transfer of data and on-line data management software. We
but also linked to other data sets that are held on the farm or
now have many opportunities to generate new information that
by other partners. What that means in practice, is that over
can help you better manage your farm, whilst improving
time there should be more opportunities to gain more value
efficiency and reduce environmental impact. However,
from the information you are collecting. There should also be
innovation isn’t and can’t be a one size fits all approach, each
less need to input data in manually, and less need to input the
farm needs to evaluate what works for them.
same data twice or even several times!
As Head of Industry and Partnerships, I have the pleasure of working across SAC Consulting and SRUC, supporting and driving forward the creation of real industry impact from new innovations. I have a front row seat for many of the exciting developments in agri-innovation, but also know all too well that generating real industry impact from using them is not always
Currently, our research and consultancy teams are involved in trailing and evaluating a number of tools and approaches, ensuring we are well placed to provide independent and knowledgeable advice for farms.
Perspectives | Autumn 2023
“
Our experience, knowledge and collaborations are now being used to develop new products and services in several other areas
”
Obviously, the wish for more joined-up thinking and added
Regular readers of Perspectives may have also seen in the last
value is not new. We already have several examples where it has
addition that our web-based carbon calculator tool ‘Agrecalc’
been a key component of successes that SRUC helped deliver.
is being moved to a cloud-based platform. This will vastly improve its flexibility and ability to link into other digital tools
Did you know that through our EGENES unit, SRUC runs some of
and data sets. Over time this should help farmers generate a
the most advanced genetic evaluations for dairy cattle, beef
more complete picture of their enterprises to help best inform
cattle and sheep in the world. At the core of that service is the
and evidence the impact of positive on-farm decisions aimed
analysis of data that has typically been collected primarily for
at getting the industry closer to the net zero target.
another purpose by farmers or our partners. For example, milk production and quality, fertility and health data for dairy cattle
These are just some examples of the advances and innovations
that is recorded and used by milk recording companies, lifespan
we have made, but there is much more to come.
from traceability records, and Bovine Tuberculosis resistance for cattle from government led testing programs. This year the
There is little doubt that as we move forward, data collected on
EGENES unit is celebrating 20 years of successfully running UK
farms will play an increasingly important role in driving Agri-
national genetic evaluations, so we’ve learned a lot in that time.
innovation and demonstrating positive impact. However, not all
It’s important to realise that the majority of our success stories
data is useful, and careful consideration of what and how to
have required careful combing of some enormous data sets.
record can make a big difference in terms of the benefits you
The analysis for dairy currently includes more than 75M records!
can capture from it. Having friends that can help you make best
In applying advanced analytics alongside many years of fine-
use of it also helps!
tuning and effective collaborations, we have helped industry achieve substantial impacts. The value to the UK beef and sheep sectors alone is estimated a >£20M a year, with the value to the dairy sector even higher. Our experience, knowledge and collaborations are now being used to develop new products and services in several other areas. delivering real value for the UK economy. For example,
Get in touch
new digital tools to support animal welfare monitoring and herd
huw.jones@sruc.ac.uk
health planning will be available later this year.
7
Insect farming: A novel approach for
future sustainable
agriculture
Insect-based proteins can replace conventional animal feed components, providing high-quality protein and fats with lower carbon footprints. This makes insect rearing an attractive circular economyfocused strategy for reducing emissions in food production and contributing to the UK’s net zero targets. DR SARAH BUCKINGHAM, SENIOR CONSULTANT, ENVIRONMENT TEAM Globally there are a variety of insects that are reared for human
Insect proteins and fats have been used in aquaculture since
nutrition, animal feed and waste management, such as black
2015, offering an alternative to fishmeal products and are
soldier fly, mealworms, lesser mealworms, crickets, locusts,
increasingly used in pet food production to replace soy and
housefly and others.
meat-based ingredients. In 2021, the European Union permitted the use of insect processed animal proteins to be used within
In a European and UK context, the most commonly reared
poultry and pig nutrition.
insect for protein production is the black soldier fly (BSF). There is growing evidence showing insect-based proteins can
Insects can also contribute to waste management
effectively supplement or replace conventional animal feed
(bioconversion) and supply various bioactive compounds
components by providing high-quality protein and fats with
(chitin) used in agriculture, textiles, and pharmaceutical
lower carbon footprints compared to soy-based feed.
industries. This has made the incorporation of insect rearing into argi-businesses an attractive circular economy-focused
Therefore, incorporating insects into agricultural and food
strategy for reducing emissions in food production, contributing
production systems offers a sustainable alternative protein
to circular economy goals and UK’s net zero targets.
source that can potentially replace the UK’s reliance on soy imports.
Perspectives | Autumn 2023
So, what are some of the potential benefits to agri-businesses?
Insect rearing offers a pathway to upcycle agricultural wastes into animal feed (from the insect larvae) and/or organic insect
Reduced carbon footprint and environmental co-benefits:
manure (frass). Zero Waste Scotland reported that both BSF
Research highlights that utilising insect-based protein in animal
and anaerobic digestion treatments of food waste provide net
feed has lower greenhouse gas emissions and lower land and
carbon savings. However, BSF generates approximately 10%
water demands compared to soy production. A reduction in
additional carbon benefit. Insects are highly efficient at rapidly
soy production (due to decreased demand) could also lead to
converting organic material into biomass and frass, and SRUC
reductions in other negative environmental impacts associated
are investigating the potential use of frass as an alternative to
with soy production, such as deforestation, soil degradation,
synthetic fertilisers.
destruction of wildlife habitats, and the loss of natural grasslands in some regions of the world. Utilising insects in
So, what’s next?
waste management can also reduce volumes of material sent
Insect rearing is an exciting area of emerging research,
to landfill (and emissions associated with landfill).
innovation and application, providing a novel pathway for valorising waste into usable products. Despite the many
Scalable and reliable enterprise: UK-based insect rearing
reported benefits, there are challenges with uptake due to
provides a more reliable protein source compared to imported
potentially high initial investment (depending on the scale of
sources, which may be affected by geopolitical/market
operation) and difficulties in aligning insect farming standards
volatility issues and subsequent economic impacts. Due to the
to agri-businesses. There is also a need for further research
short life span of insects (e.g., harvest the larvae approximately
and knowledge required, e.g. the protein production yield and
10-15 days old with the full life cycle of BSF being around 35-45
quality derived from different waste streams, the consistency
days depending on diet), insect rearing can be more readily
and standardisation of substrate, frass composition and its
scaled according to business needs compared to other protein
effect on soil/crop health, and life cycle analysis of
sources.
incorporating insects into supply chains.
Waste reduction, valorisation and circular economy:
At SRUC, we are excited to be contributing to research and
BSF can eat almost anything (organic), making them efficient
commercial development in this field by investigating the
bioconverters. However, if BSF products are to be utilised
commercial viability of insect frass (and chitin) and life cycle
directly within the food chain, there are strict regulations on
analyses for scope 3 emissions reduction strategies in
BSF diets, which comprise mainly pre-consumer food waste,
commercial supply chains.
including fruit, vegetable and grain waste as well as unprocessed former foodstuffs (dairy and egg).
Get in touch sarah.buckingham@sac.co.uk
9
Net zero Arran Over the past ten years carbon auditing has increasingly found its place on the list of activities farmers and crofters are asked to undertake on a regular, if not recurring basis. ALEX PIRIE, SENIOR CONSULTANT If it is done carefully, correctly and backed by trusted advice
The climate change group on Arran is a farmer driven initiative,
and implementation the process can be potent tool for any
bringing in specialist speakers and consultants to address
agricultural business. Regardless of where you are and what
queries and develop action plans for issues identified by the
sector you work in, carbon auditing can deliver indicators of
members.
inefficiencies in production systems, which will inform decision making at a high level.
As a result, the group has had members who have established stubble turnips to fatten lambs and facilitate grass reseeds. They
Since the Beef Efficiency Scheme came to its conclusion,
have had farms not cropped for decades growing spring barley
farmers on the island of Arran have opted to continue carbon
for their own feed and bedding straw, and established thousands
auditing, holding meetings to identify reasons for high
of meters of hedgerows to soak up atmospheric carbon and
emissions and take collective, collaborative and coordinated
mitigate some of the worst excesses of climate change.
action to address climate change. There is no suggestion here that everyone should be a member
So, what is the group and how does it work?
of a climate change group, there are a number of factors that
Well, fundamentally, the farmers on the island each get a
have influenced the success of Net Zero Arran, and some of
carbon audit done annually and meet quarterly to discuss the
those would not easily be replicated.
results and option for improvement. However, members on Arran see participation as an By the end of this year, the group should have completed 88
opportunity to improve their production systems and some are
audits and held 12 formal meetings since launch, including
genuinely interested in concepts like natural capital and high
events with the Scottish Farm Advisory Service (FAS) and the
nature value farming. It is a broad church in that sense, with
National Farmers Union Scotland (NFUS) and has been
commitment to bettering your business, landscape and local
supported throughout their growth by Farming for a Better
community at the heart of it.
Climate (FFBC). Each area in Scotland will have their own challenges and barriers to low carbon farming, but with policy drivers pushing farmers to find their own kind of green, those that are resistant may find themselves, very quickly in the red.
Get in touch alexander.pirie@sac.co.uk
Perspectives | Autumn 2023
Turning the tide on lapwing decline Record breaking temperatures across most of Europe in July once again ensured that climate and biodiversity issues were never far from the headlines. JENNIFER STRUTHERS, SENIOR CONSULTANT In certain parts of the world, and some might say all too often,
In most instances, these plots
farmers are vilified as being the root of the problem. While
cover a small percentage of
some might accept that they are not without flaw and there is
total farmed land but have
room for improvement, it should also be recognised that
yielded a significant response
farmers can play an integral role in working towards a solution.
in the limited number of species monitored.
Here in Scotland, SAC Consulting has been integral in a project
Additionally, these crops should also benefit other species,
where one group of farmers, from the Clyde Valley, are aiming to
providing overwintered feed for birds, small mammals and
turn the tide on the worrying decline of one of the country’s key
invertebrates.
bird species, the Lapwing, by altering their farming practises and returning small areas of grassland to a cropping rotation.
Other birds were noticeably using the bare earth on the plots to forage for insects. Farm productivity has also benefitted with
The dramatic change in our agricultural landscape over the
the brassica crop used to feed lambs, which have in turn
decades is undeniable as businesses have increased
fertilised the soil and allowed an entry for a grass reseed
mechanisation, striving to increase production. The historic
improving the overall grassland.
move away from hay to multi cut silage is one often lamented as a nail in the coffin for many ground nesting birds.
These practises are nothing new and clearly demonstrates that some of the problems we face do not necessarily need complex
Upland farms now no longer grow a crop of oats for horses or
solutions. Commercial farming and nature can (and does) work
turnips for cattle, and few upland farms can economically
together, with small changes making the world of difference.
justify growing barley. This reduction in diversity of habitat on farms has had negative effects on the wader population. With the valuable support of Naturescot and Working for Waders, the farmers have found that returning small areas to crops, namely hybrid Kale varieties, has increased biodiversity on their farms. These crops have been monitored for nesting success of farmland wading birds, predominately Lapwing, and have reported 75% nesting success in comparison with neighbouring grassland fields. Grazing the brassica crops with sheep until the beginning of March followed by a period of stock exclusion until late June
Get in touch
seems to have contributed to the excellent hatching success.
jennifer.struthers@sac.co.uk
11
A conversation with
Adam Bedford In the evolving landscape of agriculture, embracing the enigmas of sustainability, innovation, and collaboration, we look to both science and practical application to illuminate the path towards a more resilient and flourishing agrifood ecosystem. At the cutting edge of agriculture, food systems, and scientific
After completing his Masters, Bedford embarked on a graduate
research, Adam Bedford and the Enigma Team at Fera Science
scheme with the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), engaging
are driving practical change for global good. We sat down with
directly with farmers and the challenges they face, in his role as
Adam to discuss his career and what led him, most recently, to
Food and Farming Advisor.
taking over the helm as Director of Enigma Projects.
From roots to research
His interest in policy and politics were also neatly integrated into his work, as he explored the impact of regulations on agricultural
Adam Bedford’s journey into agriculture was unconventional,
practices. Subsequently, Bedford spent four years in Belgium,
and. despite not coming from a farming background, he recalls
including as Director of the Brussels office, gaining invaluable
a childhood interest in agriculture through an Uncle, (who was a
political insight into agricultural policy and application across the
Shepherd on a hill farm in West Yorkshire). There, during his
UK and Europe. He then came back to the UK and did a further
teenage years, he had a job delivering milk and milking cows on
seven years for the NFU as North East Regional Director.
farm. After school, his fascination with the natural world and agriculture saw him pursue a degree in Sustainable Land Use through Askham Bryan College and Leeds University. This pivotal decision laid the foundation for a career that would merge his passion for agriculture, science, and our collective relationship with the land.
Connecting with Agriculture at NFU Bedford’s interest in rural communities and agriculture led him to undertake a Masters in Rural Development at Newcastle University which allowed him to delve into the various facets of the countryside beyond conventional farming practices. However, his connection to agriculture didn’t stop there. While still a student, Bedford began writing for Farmers Weekly, which he did for several years. He also learned to shear sheep, which he did across the UK to fund his studies.
“Working as closely with farmers as I was with policy makers for almost 15 years at the NFU has given me invaluable experience in how changes in policy and politics play out in practical farming. Understanding the policy side of agriculture also gave me a broader perspective on the wider agri-food industry, and how research and practicality must go hand in hand.”
The Fieldwork Book Club Beyond his professional pursuits, Bedford established the Fieldwork Book Club, a unique platform that unites individuals from farming, academia, politics, and everyday life to discuss literature related to food, farming, and the natural world. What started as a casual New Year’s Eve post on Twitter quickly grew into a thriving book club with over 500 subscribers from around the world.
Perspectives | Autumn 2023
“The book club came about almost by accident in one of the Covid lockdowns, but has become a brilliant way to connect people with an interest in this area. It’s been an incredible journey to witness individuals from diverse backgrounds coming together to discuss books, meet authors and explore different perspectives.”
Director of Enigma Projects
“Many of the global challenges we face today, will (in part) be answered by decisions made about the land. The impact of global political and environmental events such as the war in Ukraine and the recent heatwaves and subsequent fires in Europe, soon move on to discussions on land, access to food and the environment. This is interesting, particularly when we have a cost-of-living crisis to consider.”
In 2023, Bedford joined Fera as Director of Enigma Projects. The Enigma research model facilitates collaboration between farmers, food companies, and researchers to address critical issues on a project-by-project basis, tackling complex challenges using science combined with application. Emphasising the power of collaboration in driving transformative change, he said
“Our Enigma research model brings groups of people together - farmers, food companies, and others pre-competitively - to work on agri-food production and environmental challenges that they are facing. What makes it exciting is that it often answers one set of questions and can lead to other areas of work the partners in projects hadn’t originally envisaged. ”
“The big challenges facing the farming and food sector – producing food, impacting less and managing risks, coupled with the challenges facing land use from increased housing, managing water quality and protecting the environment to name just a few all come across the desk of scientists in Fera. Assessing how these challenges fit together, and working with scientists and farmers to move scientific research from the laboratory and into the field and back again is why I’m excited to be on the team.”
13
At the forefront of UK science and grounded in real-world application, the Enigma model will become instrumental in driving research and development efforts within the agrifood industry.
“Across Fera Science we have an insect unit which is working to explore the opportunities that arise from insect bioconversion, including for the management of food wastes and manures, the feeding to farmed animals and the potential extraction of oils for various applications. The focus here is on helping to reduce food waste, repurpose waste streams and redistribute higher value products through insect bioconversion.” “Our Land 360 work on mapping and assessing natural capital, and then looking at how to use it is well established and doing some really fantastic things. Fera scientists are researching and supporting emerging technologies to deal with the environmental and food challenges that we have and how we measure their success.” “These areas of work, coupled with our work in chemical regulation, food safety, crop health and wider environmental science all add up to a thriving science base. Focussed on practical application, our mantra at Fera is to ‘protect you, what you eat and the world in which we live.”
Perspectives | Autumn 2023
Preparing the ground for the future On being asked what his wish was for the future of Agri-Food in the coming years, Bedford says:
“We live in a very polarised world in terms of what people believe, and this strongly manifests in agrifood topics. This could be the debate on what we eat, how it is produced and what we could and should eat in the future. In an ideal world, I’d like to see less polarisation on these topics, but thankfully at Fera we’re focussed on what the science tells us and this will always lead us.”
“If farmers, growers, supply chains, consumers and others involved in Agri-Food are looking ahead, and can keep open minded, things will look different in the coming years.” “Through Enigma we’re focussed on helping this. It’s a time of great opportunity in agrifood and scientific research, and whilst change can be tough, it’s exciting.”
“The issues we used to think of as the problems of tomorrow are no longer tomorrow’s problems – they’re happening now. That is in part a little bit scary, but also motivating because it means that there are lots of possibilities to create positive change and to build very different ways of working.” 15
Farming of the future:
Regenerative agriculture
Right across the sector, in many publications and throughout the length of the supply chain, regenerative agriculture is being cited as the future of farming. The movement has gained significant momentum, but what is regenerative agriculture and is it really the future for Scottish Agriculture? REBECCA AUDSLEY, PRINCIPLE CONSULTANT AND ENVIRONMENT TEAM LEADER
Broadly speaking regenerative agriculture is a farming system
Over the past five years, SAC Consulting has been working with
which adheres to five core principles. These include, limiting
five farmers on their journey to becoming increasingly
soil disturbance, developing armour on the soil surface, building
regenerative, under the ‘Farming for a Better Climate’ initiative
crop diversity, keeping living roots in the soil and integrating
– a programme which aims to help farmers find practical ways
animals.
to cut carbon, increase sustainability, and move towards netzero emissions within their farming systems.
These principles mean many things to many people, and often context is lost between businesses. However, the level of
The project has been overwhelmingly positive, with the initial
flexibility this method of farming has, is arguably the
group being adopted into the FAS Connect programme under
movement’s biggest asset, allowing farmers to adapt the
the Farm Advisory Service (FAS) and quadrupled in numbers as
principles to their own businesses. The principles can also
interest has grown. However, there have also been some
provide a ‘pick n mix’ approach, reducing barriers to trying
challenging conversations, particularly around future support
different farming system, allowing farmers to build confidence.
mechanisms, the development of markets for novel crops and around the practical challenges this system can create. To develop regenerative farming systems in Scotland, it is essential to set and monitor clear objectives upon which a farming system can be measured. To do this, it’s worthwhile returning to the definition of sustainability to understand how a business can enhance its sustainability to become regenerative. There are three elements to sustainability: environmental, social, and economic. Being sustainable means that we can meet the needs of today, without compromising the ability for future generations to meet their own needs. Therefore, to be fully regenerative, we need to be able to meet our own needs, whilst enhancing our environmental, social, and economic standing for future generations.
Perspectives | Autumn 2023
Often, the Regenerative Agriculture movement focuses on
Nevertheless, for producers in this country to be fully
environmental elements such as the improvement of soils
regenerative, it will take a concentrated effort from the entire
through reduced tillage or cover cropping, however, we need to
supply chain. If regenerative agriculture is the future of farming,
focus on the broader elements of food production before we
then the rest of the industry needs to support these growers to
can classify business as regenerative.
ensure that they can add social and economic regeneration to the existing environmental regeneration that is underway. This
Although a mindset change is usually required of this system
change will take a concentrated effort from not only the
type, beyond the farm there are few examples of social
primary producers, but also the business supplying and
regeneration. Furthermore, the volatility of markets over the
purchasing for farms across the country.
past two years, raises serious questions about the economic regeneration of farming businesses, while so many are still
For more information, visit
reliant on subsidy.
www.farmingforabetterclimate.org
Throughout the ‘Farming for a Better Climate’ project, we have made huge progress in getting the environmental model of regenerative farming to fit. It has taken a significant effort by the original five farmers within the group and a lot of trial and error;
Get in touch Rebecca.audsley@sac.co.uk
however, what the group have demonstrated is that this system is a feasible alternative to conventional farming in Scotland.
There are three elements to sustainability: environmental, social, and economic. 17
Measuring methane emissions from sheep Livestock farmers across the country are under increasing pressure to optimise resource use efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and specifically methane, from ruminant livestock production systems. DR NICOLA LAMBE, SHEEP GENETICIST, SRUC Globally, sheep release around 700 million tonnes of methane
PACs are aluminium boxes, approximately 1m long with a
into the atmosphere per year (FAOSTAT 2020).
window on the front. Twelve of these compartments are mounted on a trailer that can be towed to different locations to
Carbon calculators currently do not account for differences
measure the sheep on-site. Each compartment houses an
between individual sheep in methane production. However,
individual sheep for a short period of time (50 minutes), during
research has shown that there is variation between sheep, even
which air samples are collected and methane concentration
within a flock, in the amount of methane they produce on the
can be analysed and daily emissions predicted from each
same diet and at the same live weight. Methane emissions are
sheep.
partly under genetic control and so could be changed over time by selective breeding.
SRUC has purchased a portable set of 12 PACs, mounted on a trailer, from AgResearch in New Zealand, who have developed
Therefore, if producers are likely to be rewarded in the future
and tested the design. The aim is to use this equipment in our
for reducing (or penalised for increasing) methane emissions
research, by measuring a variety of sheep from different
from their flocks, it is even more important that we are in a
breeds and systems in the UK.
position to measure these emissions, particularly from sheep managed on typical UK grass-based systems.
So far, measurements of methane have been taken on some Scottish Blackface hoggets from our SRUC hill flock and from a
One answer to the problem could be Portable accumulation
small number of commercial breeders’ farms in England with a
chambers (PACs) which can be used to rapidly measure
variety of maternal and terminal sire breeds. Results have
methane and other gas emissions from individual sheep kept in
confirmed that methane emissions from sheep are feasible to
a variety of systems, including at pasture.
measure on-farm using PACs, under UK conditions, and there is variability between animals in methane emissions recorded by PACs that could potentially be exploited within breeding programmes. Dr Nicola Lambe from SRUC, who is coordinating the PAC research said: “There is an urgent need to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from sheep. Despite the fact that resource efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions are global priorities, there are few examples around the world of breeding strategies being implemented in practice to directly tackle these issues in sheep.
Perspectives | Autumn 2023
“This is largely due to the difficulty in recording feed consumption and greenhouse gas emissions on an individual animal basis, especially in grazing production systems. The Portable Accumulation Chambers will play an important role in starting to address this issue.”
The next steps are to collect PAC measurements of methane from more well-recorded sheep across generations, in order to investigate the genetic control of emissions in UK sheep and genetic relationships with other important traits. This will allow us to assess the feasibility of incorporating methane measurements into breeding programmes for UK sheep to help met Net Zero targets.
Working with Agri-EPI Centre, Rob Hodgkins, who has 2,500 sheep on his farm in Hertfordshire, has become the first farmer in the UK to use the PACs, following a grant from Innovate UK. He said: “Not only does this make sense from an environmental point of view, but it also makes sense economically. It will only be a matter of time before consumers will be able to look at
Get in touch
labels on packets of meat that shows what they are buying has
nicola.lambe@sruc.ac.uk
come from, for example, a carbon-zero sheep.” 19
The state of wellbeing:
Herd health TIM GERAGHTY, VETERINARY CENTRE MANAGER, SRUC
What is it, why does it matter and how do you do it?
The Global Burden of Animal Diseases (GBAD) are a collaborative
For almost 25 years I have been studying or working as a farm
measure something, you can manage it, and if you start
animal vet and like a lot of my colleagues, I have developed a
group of researchers that are working to try to answer this question. The reason they want to measure it is that once you managing a very big number even a small improvement can
strong interest in herd health.
deliver huge economic benefits.
It would be reasonable to say that at times I am almost entirely
In truth, perfect 100% herd health is an almost impossible goal,
pre-occupied with the concept.
and given that no farm is perfect, there is always work to do. If a
A herd is not just a group of animals, and health is not just the
to ‘perfect’ in current market conditions, it is not unreasonable
absence of disease. For me, herd health means that the animals that exist to support our food security should live in a
Scottish beef herd moved from ‘good average’ health outcomes to estimate that the immediate value gain would be in the region of £400 per cow, per year, compared to the current
continuous state of complete wellbeing.
£350 per cow gross margin, as reported in a recent SRUC study.
While I (reluctantly) accept that this is probably an
Gain can be measured in other ways too, such as time saved on
unattainable ideal, as a guiding principle it can be seriously useful. How big is the gap between where we are now and ‘perfect’ herd health, and what does this gap cost us?
farm (prevention is quicker than cure) or carbon, other resource or antibiotic reduction. The gains to be made in animal welfare or farmer mental health (from working with healthier stock in more profitable systems) are harder to quantify but could possibly yield even greater gain again.
Perspectives | Autumn 2023
Firstly, we need to work together and collaborate, sharing knowledge and expertise. Nobody knows it all, but we all know something, and so only effective groups of individuals are able to close the gap and benefit from herd health. On an individual farm this means we need the owner, manager, staff, vet, nutritionist, and consultants really communicating and sharing best practice. Time spent improving this communication will yield big returns.
We need to learn how to define success. We need to set targets that are measurable, because once you measure you can manage effectively. The whole team should know exactly what you are trying to achieve and by when. Standard KPIs (like calves weaned per 100 cows) work really well. Write them down and stick them in a prominent place.
So what is causing the gap between where we are in reality and the utopia of herd health?
Establish an effective plan. Try to guess why you will fail to hit the target before you actually fail to hit the target. Asking the team to help will allow you to quickly identify the biggest risks faced. For every
In vet school we were taught a lot about the causes of poor
risk you think of, come up with at least one way to
herd health. There are endless lists of diseases which impact
avoid it. This will create a practical, simple plan for
on welfare and production. We were also taught that nutrition
better health.
played a key role, as did husbandry, management, farm type, genetics and, of course, weather. In reality the cause of the gap is a complex mix of inter-related biological, meteorological and economic processes. You can
Learn as you go along and don’t worry about failure! We all fail. Don’t avoid admitting it, don’t pretend it’s anything other than it is, but don’t worry about it.
spend an entire lifetime learning and identifying any one single aspect of these causes.
Failure is how we learn, so the only question we need to answer is why did we fail? Get the team
Having tried to learn something about most of them (with
involved. Check the ration again, take samples to
greater success in some areas than in others), it is likely
investigate the disease, do post-mortem exams,
impossible for any one person to learn enough to fully
check the EBV of the bull, find a specialist that can
comprehend the restrictions on reaching perfect herd health.
help! If we investigate, we learn and if we learn, we can improve.
So, in a way the real cause of the gap is ultimately our own limited ability to create, access and most importantly share our individual knowledge about the complex things that can lead to poor animal health outcomes. We are all the cause, and so we are all the solution.
Achieving ‘perfect’ herd health may be a lofty (and perhaps unattainable) goal but committing to a direction of travel that says we can do better, will yield immense benefits for all.
So, how do we start to resolve the issue? There are five critical factors needed to close the gap in our ability to manage and maintain the best herd health possible, regardless of whether you
Get in touch
are working on an individual farm, across an industry or globally.
timothy.geraghty@sruc.ac.uk
21
Staff spotlight
Kirstyn Blackwood CONSULTANT, AYR
Specialist expertise and skills
I also manage FAS projects such as the Ayrshire Women in Agriculture group, the Deer Farming events, and the New
• Beef and sheep feed rationing
Entrant meetings to name a few, as well as producing the FAS
• Business planning and budgeting
Stock Talk podcast.
• IACS work and grant applications • Producing the FAS Stock Talk podcasts • Carbon auditing and mitigation measures
If you could do anyone else’s job, who would it be, what is their role and why do you want it? I would not change my role within SAC Consulting as I enjoy the varied workload. However, I am particularly interested in
What was your educational journey into this role? Having grown up on a family hill farm in Ayrshire running a flock of commercial and pedigree Blackface sheep, I have always had a keen interest in breeding sheep and agriculture. When I left school, I toyed with a couple of career options before deciding to study from my BSc Honours degree in Agriculture. My dissertation looked at the effect of administering the trace elements cobalt, selenium, and vitamin B12 on the pregnancy scanning percentages in hill ewes. I achieved the Malcolm Cup for the best overall agricultural dissertation across SRUC for that year and was also awarded the best sheep related
beef and sheep feed rationing and enjoy preparing these for clients in the autumn when cattle come inside for the winter period and pre-lambing and pre-calving. I appreciate the help of SAC’s nutritionists Karen Stewart and Mary Young with more tricky rations and enjoy learning from them.
Tell us about your favourite project since you joined SAC Consulting. When I first joined the Ayr team, I enjoyed co-facilitating the QMS Monitor Farm meetings at Girtridge Farm with my manager, Raymond Crerar. I loved these big events with regular faces at every meeting and seeing the interaction between the attendees, ourselves, any guest speakers, and the farmer John Howie. It was great to see the progress John made within the
dissertation from the Texel Society.
time frame of the programme, and beyond.
After graduating, I started my SAC Consulting career in
If you had one wish, to be used to better the industry, what would you wish for?
Stranraer on a temporary post, it gave me a good grounding before moving to a permanent position in Ayr.
If I had one wish to better the industry, it would be for food
Tell us why you wanted to work at SAC Consulting.
future support schemes. Although I recognise environmental
I get to work with farmers, helping them and their businesses
factors including climate change, biodiversity and carbon
on a daily basis. I enjoy the variety the role provides with my
auditing play an important role in agriculture’s future, with the
workload including beef and sheep rationing required by Ayr
increasing population I believe food security should also be a
office clients. I am also responsible for preparing business
high priority.
security to be recognised and rewarded appropriately in
plans and budgets, as well as carbon audits, IACS submissions and grant work.
Get in touch kirstyn.blackwood@sac.co.uk
Perspectives | Autumn 2023
Staff spotlight
Brady Stevens CONSULTANT, FOOD AND ENTERPRISE
Specialist expertise and skills
If you could do anyone else’s job, who would it be, what is their role and why do you want it?
• Green finance and ecosystem services payments
I’d probably pick Robbie Paton. I enjoyed working alongside
• Facilitating landscape scale
Robbie on a recent FAS video project and it seems like a
• Qualitative research and stakeholder engagement
dream to travel around Scotland to film all the great people
• Science communication
and things happening from coast to coast.
Tell us about your favourite project since you joined SAC Consulting. What was your educational journey into this role? I have always loved getting my hands dirty and working outdoors and was undecided as I headed into my undergraduate years, but eventually focused on evolutionary biology and earth science. Fascinated by the systems that enable life on earth, I realised that gaining an understanding of these would give me a good foundation to be an informed citizen of the world! I then found the Environmental Protection and Management MSc at University of Edinburgh and SRUC, which allowed me to put what I had learned about earth systems and ecosystem services in the Scottish context. I loved my course! We unpicked tricky questions about land management and the many different interests and influences in Scotland. The professional and research skills we learned were perfect preparation for my role at SAC Consulting and gave me connections to research teams, with whom I continue to collaborate in my projects.
Tell us why you wanted to work at SAC Consulting. I was inspired by the mission and the SRUC model of education, research and consulting, all working together.
For me, this has been the Deer Management Group Land Use Plan. The project was a great showcase of what the specialist teams at SAC can do when we work together: Bringing in policy knowledge, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and the practicalities of upland farming. We produced opportunity maps which showed options for how the large area could be managed differently, optimising for carbon sequestration, business viability, and continued ways of life. I think this is something really valuable that we can deliver for land managers, and I look forward to working on more projects of this type in the future.
If you had one wish, to be used to better the industry, what would you wish for? I am looking forward to the day when certain industries and sectors have achieved net zero. We speak about it all the time, but I think the feeling of a decarbonised food and drink sector, for example, will surprise people. For me, eating and not worrying about or mentally calculating the carbon footprint of my choices would be a huge relief.
I’ve had the opportunity to speak to more recent SRUC MSc classes about jobs after graduating, and I always encourage them to choose whichever path gives them the greatest potential to learn and grow. I’m lucky that it feels like I am always learning about farm systems and environmental interactions and there is endless potential for me to develop myself within my varied role.
Get in touch brady.stevens@sac.co.uk
23
SAC Consulting Offices Ayr
Inverness
St Boswells
01292 525252 ayr@sac.co.uk
01463 233266 inverness@sac.co.uk
01835 823322 stboswells@sac.co.uk
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01334 654055 cupar@sac.co.uk
01555 662562 lanark@sac.co.uk
01851 703103 stornoway@sac.co.uk
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Stranraer
01387 261172 dumfries@sac.co.uk
01595 693520 lerwick@sac.co.uk
01776 702649 stranraer@sac.co.uk
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0131 603 7520 edinburgh@sac.co.uk
01631 563093 oban@sac.co.uk
01467 625385 thainstone@sac.co.uk
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Perth
Thurso
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01738 636611 perth@sac.co.uk
01847 892602 thurso@sac.co.uk
Forfar
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01478 612993 portree@sac.co.uk
01888 563333 turriff@sac.co.uk
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