Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Research: Strategy 2027 to 2032

Foreword by Prof. Mathew Williams, Chief Scientific Adviser - ENRA

Environmental and agricultural research is vital for Scotland’s people and rural economy. Scottish Government’s main way of funding research on this area is via the ENRA Research Programme. This research is primarily delivered via Scottish organisations which have been informing debate and shaping policy in this area for over a century, back to 1899 for Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), 1913 for the Rowett Institute, 1920 for the Moredun Institute, and 1930 for the Macaulay Institute (now James Hutton Institute, JHI).

These institutes and others have pioneered a transformation in land management, food supply, and environmental stewardship in Scotland. For instance, work at the Rowett informed UK food policy during wartime in the 1940s and continues to do so; JHI has bred virtually all British-grown blackcurrants and mapped Scotland’s soils; SRUC has improved the efficiency of UK beef and dairy production; Moredun has created key vaccines for livestock; Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland (BioSS) provided expertise to assist with wastewater monitoring during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are many other examples of impact that are detailed within this document.

Now, more than ever, investment in research and development is critical for Scotland. There are great opportunities for innovation using new technology, to allow Scotland to grow its land-based economy sustainably. Scotland has world-class strengths in breeding new varieties of plants to mitigate and adapt to climate change and implementing genetics to produce high-quality livestock. Its institutes and researchers have built relationships with farmers to develop sustainable operations. Our Centres of Expertise (CoE) have linked researchers to government, finding ways to accelerate progress to net zero, to manage water excess and scarcity, and to respond to animal and plant health emergencies. Climate change, global political uncertainty, and loss of biodiversity increasingly threaten Scotland’s people, land and economy. Scientific research allows us to develop effective actions to resolve these threats.

This document lays out a strategy for investment in research for Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture, for 2027-2032. The strategy has been developed by the Chief Scientific Adviser ENRA and Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services (RESAS), the division of Scottish Government responsible for ENRA research delivery. The process of development has included (i) feedback from our Scientific Advisory Board, based on scrutiny of the current programme of ENRA research; (ii) consultation with Scottish Government, particularly the Directorates of Agriculture and Rural Economy, Environment and Forestry, and Energy and Climate Change; (iii) discussions with scientists and other key stakeholders; (iv) feedback collated from the public consultation process.

There are several key refinements in our strategy. We now focus on Missions, whereby all research is coordinated to deliver against key Scottish Government priorities. Research will be commissioned for its capacity to deliver impact by co-working with policy teams, agency staff, farmers, land owners, environmental non-governmental organisations (eNGOs) or entrepreneurs to meet key challenges for Missions. Research will be organised to support systems thinking, recognising that the challenges we face are interconnected, and that Scotland has a finite land resource that is subject to many demands. Research needs to be efficient, sharing data and knowledge widely, and using models to provide decision support systems for real world impact. Research needs to take advantage of Scottish Government investments such as the Land Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) Programme. Research must also maximise the value of artificial intelligence, and integrate other transformative technologies such as environmental DNA.

I am pleased to share this research strategy and extend my sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed their time and expertise in its development, as well as to all who provided submissions during the consultation process that helped shape the final strategy.