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food security

July 7, 2023
The James Hutton Institute and the Scottish Society for Crop Research (SSCR) are collaborating to present this year’s Fruit for the Future showcase at Invergowrie, Dundee on the 27th of July 2023. Jam-packed with the latest soft fruit...
February 2, 2023
The James Hutton institute has invested more than £1.75 million in new, state-of-the-art laboratory equipment to enhance its leading independent scientific research capabilities across food, plant and soil health and quality. The largest...
February 2, 2023
The James Hutton institute’s head of forensic science, principal scientist Professor Lorna Dawson, has been appointed as a commissioner on the UK’s Food, Farming and Countryside Commission (FFCC). The FFCC, which delivered the...
January 1, 2023
Colin Campbell, Chief Executive of the James Hutton Institute. This article first appeared in The Herald on 26 January Global food security is going to be a dominant economic theme over the next decade. Since the Russian invasion of...
December 12, 2022
Following successful field trials, the James Hutton Institute based at Invergowrie, has donated three tonnes of locally grown potatoes to Cyrenians, Scotland’s charity for homelessness, for distribution to communities in need across the...
November 11, 2022
MERLIN, a project committed to transformative ecosystem restoration through Nature-based Solutions, co-led by the James Hutton Institute, is offering companies a unique opportunity to showcase their cutting-edge work to develop products and...
October 10, 2022
This article first appeared in The Times Thunderer column on 10th October By Professor Derek Stewart, Director, Advanced Plant Growth Centre, the James Hutton Institute As a crop scientist with over 30 years’ experience in the research...
September 9, 2022
Scientists at the James Hutton Institute are researching ways to prepare for and prevent future threats to arable and horticultural production in Scotland.  In work funded by the Scottish Government’sRural and Environment Science and...
August 8, 2022
Potatoes in Practice (PiP), the UK’s largest field event for potatoes, is set to return to Balruddery Farm in Angus on Thursday 11th August 2022 with a focus on new research and current challenges.
July 7, 2022
Imagine crops that can be used to help secure enough food for a growing global population while benefiting the environment. Well, there are such crops: legumes. Legume plants, like pea, broad bean, soya bean, clover and cowpea, can team up with...
June 6, 2022
After a two-year enforced hiatus, the James Hutton Institute’s return to the Royal Highland Show was a success: a steady stream of visitors visited the marquee including farmers, research partners and families, as well as a significant...
June 6, 2022
The thin layer of soil surrounding plant roots, an interface that scientists define as the rhizosphere, is a habitat for a multitude of microorganisms collectively referred to as the rhizosphere microbiota. In analogy with the microbiota...
June 6, 2022
The Royal Highland Show (23-26 June 2022, Ingliston, Edinburgh EH28 8NB) is one of Scotland's most iconic events, and while it showcases the very best of farming food and rural life, it could be argued that it is actually a science, research...
June 6, 2022
Two hundred and ninety-six years ago, one of the most influential Scots ever was born: a man whose influence on our understanding of the earth was revolutionary at the time and has unlocked vast areas of related knowledge since then. He...
June 6, 2022
The world’s first “climate-positive” gin, created using the humble garden pea, was recognised at the Herard’s Higher Education Awards on Tuesday, when the team behind the gin secured the “Outstanding Business...
May 5, 2022
A Hutton scientific study summarising six years of agricultural research undertaken for the Scottish Government highlights the impact of the use of ecological principles in agriculture on sustainability, resilience, and provision of ecosystem...
April 4, 2022
Arable Scotland, the country’s premier arable event featuring knowledge and solutions for the arable industry, returns to the field in 2022 with a focus on net-zero carbon emissions and markets. The one-day event will take place at...
March 3, 2022
New research by James Hutton Institute scientists and partner organisations explores the use of sustainable farming practices in Scotland and how these support long-term land productivity and resilience amongst agricultural businesses.
March 3, 2022
Arthropod pests are estimated to destroy up to 20% of annual crop production worldwide. In recent years, key pesticides used in soft fruit production have been withdrawn, leaving crops vulnerable to attack. Researchers have been developing...
February 2, 2022
A renowned group of barley scientists, including researchers from the James Hutton Institute and the University of Dundee, has issued an open call to ‘galvanize’ the international barley research community from the ground up by...
February 2, 2022
A new report published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) and co-authored by Professor Richard Aspinall, an Honorary Fellow of the James Hutton Institute, calls for action from policymakers...
February 2, 2022
By Pete Iannetta
February 2, 2022
The Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon MSP, got a vision of climate-positive agriculture and future farming technologies when she visited the James Hutton Institute in Dundee. Ms Gougeon...
January 1, 2022
The James Hutton Institute has joined Angus Council, Agrico UK, Arbikie Distillery and SoilEssentials Ltd in signing a letter of intent to develop a Centre for Agricultural Sustainable Innovation (CASI) headquartered in Forfar, Angus. The CASI...
January 1, 2022
The James Hutton Institute supports plans being put forward to create a life sciences innovation district for the Dundee region. Dundee City councillors will be asked to kick-start discussions that will explore and agree joint marketing,...
January 1, 2022
The James Hutton Institute and Robert Gordon University (RGU) are carrying out research on how COVID-19 restrictions impacted behaviours around food related practices. The study will look at the nature and extent of these changes across different...
January 1, 2022
Daylight is made from a spectrum of wavelengths and plants possess receptors that can detect red and blue light. Blue light is important for plant growth and yet inhibits the immune response of potato plants to Phytophthora infestans, making them...
January 1, 2022
Society needs to re-think its relationship with the natural world if we are to avoid the worst consequences of climate change and pandemics, the James Hutton Institute has urged in the 2022 episode of BBC Scotland’s Resolutions programme...
December 12, 2021
By Mike Rivington Will there be turkeys for Christmas? In spite of some likely strains due to Brexit, labour shortages and the familiar yet ever-evolving disruptions of COVID-19, the answer is a fairly safe yes. Yet this is perhaps surprising....
December 12, 2021
A report by a multi-stakeholder working group of the European Technology Platform ‘Plants for the Future’, featuring contributions from James Hutton Institute scientists, has identified three principles that will help transition...
October 10, 2021
An industry-wide consortium, led by producer organisation G’s Growers and supported by the James Hutton Institute, the University of Dundee and James Hutton Limited, has won a UKRI-BBSRC collaborative training partnership award (...
October 10, 2021
Chris Scott-Park, of Portnellan Farm, on the banks of Loch Lomond, has been chosen as the winner of the final NEWBIE UK award for New Entrant of the Year for 2021. Originally a successful organic beef business and winners of the James Hutton...
October 10, 2021
The next generation of barley researchers have received a multi-million investment through the Barley Industrial Training Network (BARIToNE) programme, a Collaborative Training Partnership (CTP) led by the Scotch Whisky Research Institute, the...
August 8, 2021
Researchers from the James Hutton Institute are calling on livestock farmers and vets in the UK to help develop a greater understanding of the use of on farm anti-microbials. It is widely believed that overuse and improper use of anti-...
July 7, 2021
Researchers at the James Hutton Institute have welcomed the publication of a report on the UK’s National Food Strategy, which calls on the UK Government to commit to a landmark package of reforms to build a better food system for a...
June 6, 2021
SEFARI Gateway and the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission (FFCC) are funding a collaborative project between the James Hutton Institute, the Soil Association Scotland, and Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society (SAOS) to carry out...
June 6, 2021
International Barley Hub scientists have been awarded a prestigious International Partnership award from BBSRC to strengthen the link between world leading research teams in the UK and Europe. The aim of the grant is to create new working...
June 6, 2021
Arable Scotland, the premier event for the Scottish arable industry, returns on 29th June 2021. Now in its third year, the event brings together the key players in food production, academia and farming to discuss key issues and provide a wealth...
May 5, 2021
Plant scientists at the James Hutton Institute and the University of Dundee have won funding to establish a partnership with world-class researchers in Australia. This will allow the leading research organisations to pool their expertise towards...
April 4, 2021
A partnership agreement has been signed between Utah State University and the James Hutton Institute to promote cooperation in agricultural and environmental research, with emphasis on climate change issues. The agreement was signed by...
April 4, 2021
How will food production respond to the effects of COVID-19 in the next 18 months? Which sectors are likely to experience change? These questions are at the heart of research examining how best to protect the UK’s food and nutrition...
April 4, 2021
An industry team led by agritech specialist Liberty Produce and supported by the James Hutton Institute has won Innovate UK funding to develop innovative hybrid farming and greenhouse technologies to work towards Singapore’s food security...
April 4, 2021
"World-leading research to provide government, business and decision makers with the evidence that they need to develop a robust food and nutrition security response to COVID-19." The project partners have launched a survey to gather...
April 4, 2021
First Milk, Nestlé and Agricarbon have announced the launch of a pioneering soil carbon capture project, with scientific guidance from leading soil ecologist and James Hutton Institute Honorary Associate, Dr Helaina Black. The project...
March 3, 2021
The International Barley Hub and the Advanced Plant Growth Centre, two flagship innovation projects supported through a transformational capital investment of £45m by the UK Government and £17m by the Scottish Government via the Tay...
March 3, 2021
The productivity of cereal crops could get a boost in the future thanks to the discovery of new roles for a master gene regulator that influences the development of barley florets, furthering the understanding of grain development including...
February 2, 2021
Tomnah’a Market Garden, a community-focused enterprise located at Comrie Croft in Perthshire, has been declared the winner of the NEWBIE UK award for New Entrant Farm Business of the Year for 2020. Tomnah’a is run by Cristy Gilbert,...
February 2, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic, already a major shock to society in terms of health and economy, is affecting both UK and global food and nutrition security and adding to a ‘perfect storm’ of threats to society from climate change,...
January 1, 2021
January 1, 2021
Increased demand in berries across Europe meets the challenges brought on by climate change, environmental preservation and the need for new cultivation systems as well as high-quality produce. The new research project BreedingValue, a European...
December 12, 2020
Mayan Gold and Vales Sovereign potatoes developed in Tayside by the James Hutton Institute and grown on Hutton research farms as part of a long-term trial of sustainable cultivation methods are being donated to food banks across Tayside in time...
December 12, 2020
Dr Jorunn Bos, a principal investigator in the Division of Plant Sciences of the University of Dundee at the James Hutton Institute, has been awarded a prestigious European Research Council Consolidator grant worth almost €2 million to...
December 12, 2020
A €5.5m research project involving 27 members from 12 European countries including James Hutton Institute scientists has been formed with the aim of reducing food losses and waste across Europe. The Lowinfood project, funded by the European...
October 10, 2020
In the last 75 years, the world has made great progress in the fight against poverty, hunger, and malnutrition. Agricultural productivity and food systems have come a long way, but still, too many people remain vulnerable. On World Food Day 2020...
September 9, 2020
The James Hutton Institute and farming technology company Liberty Produce have been awarded UKRI funding to address the challenges of climate change and the food production yield-gap through an ambitious new project, which seeks to develop...
September 9, 2020
Mountains cover 22% of the world's land surface and are home to about 915 million people. In Europe, mountain ranges cover 36% of the European area and play an essential role in the provision of public and private goods. Despite their...
September 9, 2020
International Barley Hub scientists at the James Hutton Institute, working with colleagues in the UK and Australia, have gained further insight into key genes responsible for grain composition, a process facilitated by using CRISPR gene editing...
September 9, 2020
A new review paper by Hutton PhD student Camilla Negri, working alongside colleagues in Italy and China, shows that food waste has significant potential to replace crops in the production of energy and fertilisers through anaerobic digestion....
August 8, 2020
Are you involved in growing, processing or selling pulse-based products? A newly launched Rural Innovation Support Service (RISS) group is set to explore the potential of pulse supply chains in Scotland and associated challenges and possibilities...
August 8, 2020
Researchers at the James Hutton Institute and partner institutions are developing a suite of digital resources to help farmers harness the potential of crop mixtures to improve the sustainability of their production systems.
July 7, 2020
The 2020 edition of Arable Scotland – Scotland’s newest field event focussing on arable crops - took place online on 2nd July and was very well received: hundreds of e-delegates visited the event’s Virtual Field Map on the day,...
June 6, 2020
Arable Scotland 2020, Scotland's newest field event focussing on arable crops, is taking place online on 2nd July 10:00 am and will major on alternative crops and new markets. Registration for the free event is open at www.arablescotland.org....
June 6, 2020
It is the year 2050. How has society reacted and adapted to climate change? A farming family have recorded three sets of video diaries. Dad (Jack), mum (Beth) and daughter (Sally). Each set of diaries decsribes life in different futures...
June 6, 2020
The programme for Arable Scotland 2020, Scotland's newest field event focussing on arable crops, has been announced. This year's event is taking place online and will major on alternative crops and new markets.
May 5, 2020
How have our eating, cooking and food purchasing habits changed due to the coronavirus pandemic and the resultant lockdown measures in the UK, Europe and much of the world? Researchers at the James Hutton Institute are part of an EU consortium...
May 5, 2020
International Barley Hub scientists at the James Hutton Institute, working with colleagues in the UK, Australia and China, have identified a natural variation in a gene that influences sodium content in barley crops, a finding which may help...
May 5, 2020
The diverse and multi-faceted impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic is having on UK and global food nutrition security are at the centre of a multi-disciplinary research initiative led by the James Hutton Institute and funded with a £341,000...
April 4, 2020
Social science at the James Hutton Institute may provide an insight into how rural Scotland can and will likely respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. These research findings bring into focus the importance of community resilience, discuss the impact...
April 4, 2020
A Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) between the James Hutton Institute and Davidsons Animal Feeds aiming to explore seaweed-based feeds, with associated benefits in terms of meat quality and a reduced carbon footprint, has been shortlisted for...
April 4, 2020
The award-winning film Thank You For The Rain was the focus of the James Hutton Institute’s first ever collective 'online' film screening on the 6th of April, highlighting a range of issues including climate justice, urbanisation...
March 3, 2020
“Soil is life. We breathe the air, we drink the water and we eat the crops, we live on the soil. Soil stores twice as much carbon globally as the vegetation above ground and is a universe of microbial life working with plants to balance the...
March 3, 2020
Countries around the world must induce ‘social tipping’ dynamics by introducing far-reaching social and technological changes if they are to successfully decarbonise and prevent the devastating consequences of climate change, an...
March 3, 2020
An international research team featuring scientists from the James Hutton Institute is exploring the potential of biochar - a carbon-rich type of charcoal - to address air pollution, climate change, food security and farmers’ incomes in...
February 2, 2020
By Professor Fiona Burnett, Co-chair, Arable Scotland
February 2, 2020
Adopting a systems perspective is essential to help agriculture contribute to Europe’s own policy objectives and also international targets such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals. That was one of the key messages of a presentation...
January 1, 2020
A new report co-authored by a James Hutton Institute scientist and published in Nature Sustainability examines the potential impacts on food production of zero-budget natural farming, a farming system that is sweeping India. Zero-budget...
December 12, 2019
With countries struggling to press forward after the recent COP25 summit in Madrid, and ever-increasing awareness of the impact that the climate emergency is having on our planet, consumers can do their bit by making changes to their daily habits...
October 10, 2019
An innovative research project aims to demonstrate the benefits of using crop species mixtures as a sustainable crop production system. The Sustainability in Education and Agriculture using Mixtures (SEAMS) initiative is providing a platform for...
September 9, 2019
A recent workshop co-organised by the Earlham Institute and the Catholic University of Santa María gathered plant scientists from Peru and the UK to discuss the application of 'omic' technologies for the research of crop...
September 9, 2019
A new Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) involving the James Hutton Institute and Davidsons Animal Feeds is exploring the possibilities of protein-rich UK seaweeds to replace some currently used ingredients in the production of ruminant animal...
August 8, 2019
Maize is the most important cereal crop in southern Africa but without new management practices and with the increased risk of drought, yields which are already low are predicted to further decline. It is therefore critical that new approaches...
July 7, 2019
The Orskov Foundation, created to support students from developing countries to further their education in subjects related to agriculture, land use or the environment, has announced its grant awards for 2019. They include support for four...
July 7, 2019
Potatoes have been a staple of Britain’s diet for half a millennium, but new research suggests that limited genetic differences in potato lineages has left British and American spuds vulnerable to the disease that caused the Irish potato...
July 7, 2019
Projected global population growth requires food production to increase by 70% before 2050 to meet demand. Pests and diseases are a major constraint to providing this food security: between 30-40% of our crops are lost to pathogens long before...
July 7, 2019
Scientists of the James Hutton Institute have discussed the latest research on arable crops as part of the launch of new event Arable Scotland, including renewed breeding efforts aimed at developing quality crops for defined markets, innovative...
July 7, 2019
An independent report focussing on Scotland’s progress against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals has found that, despite some advances, the country is not on target to achieve a number of the goals and further action is...
May 5, 2019
Capacities for completely replacing animal protein in the human diet are limited and would require “major changes” in the structure of global agricultural food systems, according to new research. A study carried out by Scottish...
April 4, 2019
  Case Studies in the UK TEXT     Key contacts Lee-Ann Sutherland    Adam Calo Follow @newbieuk
April 4, 2019
Come and spend a fun family day at Mylnefield Farm! The Institute will be taking part in Open Farm Sunday 2019 on 9 June.
April 4, 2019
April 4, 2019
NEWBIE Events At Newbie UK, we're working to be abreast of the ongoing work of farmers, advisory services, and governments to support and research new entrant farming. Any questions about events you see? Send an email to Adam Calo.
April 4, 2019
In NEWBIE, “new entrants” are defined as anyone who starts a new farm business or becomes involved in an existing farm business. They comprise a wide range of ages, agricultural experience and resource access. Newcomers and successors...
April 4, 2019
Mr Richard Lochhead MSP, the Scottish Government’s Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, today visited the James Hutton Institute in Invergowrie to hear about world leading research in land, crop, waters and the...
February 2, 2019
The James Hutton Institute and the Malaysia-based Crops for the Future Research Centre (CFFRC) have agreed to cooperate on aspects of global agricultural sustainability, food security and nutrition, with emphasis on underutilised and novel crops...
December 12, 2018
Warmer winters may not provide sufficient chilling for blackcurrants in the UK, delaying the start of the growing season and resulting in reduced yields and lower fruit quality, researchers have found. Like many fruit crops and woody plants,...
November 11, 2018
The James Hutton Institute has today welcomed the signing of the heads of terms of the Tay Cities Deal, which is expected to bring a £700 million investment into Tayside and Angus and create 6,000 direct jobs in the area. Included...
October 10, 2018
Our actions are our future. That is the theme of this year’s World Food Day, which highlights the global goal of zero hunger by 2030. With over 820 million people suffering chronic undernourishment and with that number on the rise, the...
August 8, 2018
Scientists from the James Hutton Institute are investigating the development of resilient flavour characteristics in UK raspberries, as part of Innovate UK-funded research into new fruit breeding models and decision support tools.
July 7, 2018
Scientists from the James Hutton Institute have alerted about the potential impact of extreme weather events - such as the current heatwave - on crop production, suggesting the development of stress-resistant crops as an important resource to...
May 5, 2018
The science of the James Hutton Institute continues to attract the interest of the media. This time, Professor Derek Stewart and Dr Andrew Copus were featured in recent BBC programmes, in which they discussed research on the nutritional qualities...
April 4, 2018
A Hydro Nation scholar carrying out research on common challenges across water, energy and food and their connections to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) presented her PhD research during a session on “...
April 4, 2018
Pulses, the dry, edible seeds of plants in the legume family, which include UK-grown beans and peas as well as chickpeas and lentils, are incredibly sustainable superfoods that can make a unique contribution to global food security due to their...
March 3, 2018
We are pleased to invite you to a screening of “10 Billion What’s on your plate?”, on Thursday 22 March 2018. Doors will be open at 6:30 pm with the event starting at 7:00. The film follows the director,...
March 3, 2018
For generations, rice has been a key crop for the Kelabit people who populate the highlands of Malaysian Borneo – so much so that the slow-growing variety grown in the area shares a name with the region and its main town, Bario. However,...
September 9, 2017
NEFERTITI will establish an EU-wide highly connected network of well-specified demonstration and pilot farms, which is designed to enhance thematic knowledge exchange, cross fertilisation among actors and efficient innovation uptake in the...
June 6, 2017
Legumes are a very special type of crop; they are not only a source of highly nutritious food and feed but legumes require no inorganic nitrogen fertiliser, which means they have major advantages as a more sustainable crop. Despite their benefits...
February 2, 2017
The Commonwealth Potato Collection (CPC), a unique repository of potato germplasm held in trust by the James Hutton Institute with support from the Scottish Government, has made the first-ever seed deposit by a UK institution into the Global Seed...
January 1, 2017
Food is a key lens through which to see the world and what is happening. In this talk, Geoff Tansey will reflect on the challenges facing us in creating food systems globally that are fair, healthy and sustainable in the face of growing...
December 12, 2016
New risk criteria which aim to transform the performance of potato late blight alert systems were revealed today (7th December) at AHDB’s Agronomists’ Conference in Peterborough. Arising from research undertaken by the James Hutton...
November 11, 2016
A research consortium including the James Hutton Institute and the University of Southampton is to tackle the problem of greening in potato, the world’s fourth most important food crop, in a drive to reduce field and supply chain losses...
August 8, 2016
More than 100 potato scientists from all across Europe and beyond descended on Dundee to discuss crop pests and diseases that cost millions in annual losses to farmers and industry. The European Association for Potato Research (EAPR) Pathology...
July 7, 2016
MAGIC takes a fresh look at the Europe’s goals for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and the policies and instruments intended to support these goals. Many issues – including water, energy and food security - are interconnected...
May 5, 2016
A research project that aims to develop mycological capacity and promote sustainable resource management in the Lao People's Democratic Republic has made significant progress, with two researchers from the National University of Laos (NUoL)...
April 4, 2016
Scientists in Brazil and the UK are joining forces to help solve urgent food and energy security issues in South America's most populous country, by establishing a virtual centre that will investigate how to reduce the use of fertilisers and...
March 3, 2016
Crop traits such as consistency, predictability and storability are highly desirable for the agricultural industry, and of particular importance to potato growers. However, do we understand the genetics behind the traits, and more importantly,...
March 3, 2016
The Scottish Government has today announced the re-commissioning of EPIC, the Pan-Scottish Centre of Expertise on Animal Disease Outbreaks. For the next 5 years EPIC will be led from the University of Glasgow by Professor Dominic Mellor,...
March 3, 2016
Scotland will remain at the forefront of ground-breaking advances in farming and food production as a result of continued Scottish Government funding for scientific research, Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead has said. More than £...
March 3, 2016
Scientists from the James Hutton Institute were yesterday at the Houses of Parliament in London to make the case and win parliamentarians’ support for the International Barley Hub (IBH), a project that aims to create an unique platform for...
February 2, 2016
How can mankind meet the challenges of achieving food and fuel security in a growing world without destroying the planet? Come and hear emerging ideas on how to use plants to sustainably produce food, fuels and chemicals while mitigating climate...
February 2, 2016
Scientists working in Scotland and China have uncovered a potential Achilles’ heel in the organism which causes potato blight, a global problem with associated costs estimated at US$6billion around the world every year. Blight was the...
January 1, 2016
Scientists in India and the UK are joining forces to help solve urgent food security issues in the Asian country by establishing a virtual centre that will investigate how to reduce the use of fertilisers and engineer nitrogen fixation - an...
January 1, 2016
A new study from researchers at the James Hutton Institute, the University of Aberdeen, the Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health and the Alpen-Adria University in Vienna shows that the UK’s food self-sufficiency has decreased...
December 12, 2015
Farming systems across Scotland, the UK and Europe can vary markedly from place to place. A range of factors can influence what types of production are practiced in any one place. However, climate and soil type are especially important in...
December 12, 2015
As Scotland’s Year of Innovation approaches, scientists at the James Hutton Institute have demonstrated that they have plenty to shout about on the innovation front, and not just in 2016. This week the Institute has reached the €8...
December 12, 2015
Will intensification continue to degrade soils and even start to drive down output? Is our food supply now too vulnerable to external influence – disruption by global terrorism, variation in world cereal harvests, future phosphate wars and...
December 12, 2015
Diverse climatic and geographical zones in Peru are home to a great variety of crops (e.g., potatoes, quinoa, asparagus, and coffee). Recent advances in genomics and biotechnology offer great potential to address biotic and abiotic challenges to...
September 9, 2015
Protein dense yard-long beans offer an affordable source of vitamins, particularly in South Asia where the crops thrive. However, the bean pod borer, Maruca vitrata, threatens the production of these vitamin-rich legumes, with potential...
July 7, 2015
The next meeting of the European Association for Potato Research (EAPR), Pathology and Pests Section, will be held in Dundee, Scotland, UK, 7th to 11th August 2016. This meeting covers research into potato pests and diseases with...
June 6, 2015
Cereals in Practice, the annual showcase of variety trials and research organised by the James Hutton Institute and Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), is again taking place on 2 July 2015. The event offers a range of advice and information for...
June 6, 2015
The James Hutton Institute has welcomed the announcement made by Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss that Defra is to release its data reserves to create opportunities for people in the UK making their living from food, farming and the...
March 3, 2015
In order to ensure food security for its sizeable population, China needs to find ways of overcoming pressing environmental challenges and developing a science to policy interface. That was the key message of the China-UK Summit for Environmental...
March 3, 2015
This seminar by Professor Gabriele Bammer will discuss our ability to contribute effectively to the resolution of complex real-world problems, and will propose the development of a new science discipline around integration and implementation....
February 2, 2015
Plant diseases cost the world enough food to feed at least half a billion people, equivalent to 100 times the population of Scotland, every year. The interaction between plants, microbes and insects is a key battleground in the global fight for...
January 1, 2015

Books and Book Chapters (Research Page)

Water Ecosystem Services - A Global Perspective
January 1, 2015
The briefs described on this page are either hosted on the knowledgescotland website, or are available for direct download (pdf format).
December 12, 2014
The Scottish Food Security Alliance-Crops (SFSA-C), a collaborative venture between the University of Aberdeen, the James Hutton Institute and the University of Dundee, has been awarded prestigious funding to research the global links between...
October 10, 2014
Soils & Sustainable production
October 10, 2014
Soil and Virus Research
October 10, 2014
Scotland's soil resources
October 10, 2014
Learn more about soils & climate change
September 9, 2014
Researchers at the James Hutton Institute have endorsed and repeated the view of this week’s high-profile Development Dialogues conference in New York that work to ‘climate-proof’ agriculture lies at the core of sustainable...
July 7, 2014
The Scottish Food Security Alliance-Crops (SFSAC), a partnership formed by the James Hutton Institute, the University of Aberdeen and the University of Dundee, has welcomed the publication of the second report on food security by the Environment...
March 3, 2014
The inaugural 'Rising to the challenges' conference will explore the advances that science and industry are making in providing long term solutions to the pressing global challenges of food security, climate change, sustainable resource...
February 2, 2014
Professor Johan Six from ETH Zürich will give this seminar "A multi-scale and co-ordinated disciplinary approach for sustainable agriculture" which has been organised by the Scottish Food Security Alliance - Crops. It takes place...
February 2, 2014
Introduction
January 1, 2014
You might not think of microbes when you consider biodiversity, but it turns out that even a moderate loss of less than 5% of soil microbes may compromise some key ecosystem functions and could lead to lower degradation of toxins in the...
January 1, 2014
January 1, 2014

LandSFACTS (Research Page)

LANDscape Scale Functional Allocation of Crops Temporally and Spatially
December 12, 2013
A newly discovered species of nitrogen-fixing bacterium named after a James Hutton Institute Honorary Research Fellow is part of a thrust for the development of sustainable agriculture on poor soils.
December 12, 2013
The recently formed Scottish Food Security Alliance - Crops between the James Hutton Institute and the Universities of Aberdeen and Dundee are now advertising the following PhD projects for 2014/15. List of PhD projects
December 12, 2013
Project aim The overall goal of the project ‘Hunting for Sustainability’ was to assess the social, cultural, economic and ecological functions and impacts of hunting across a broad range of contexts in Europe and Africa. Funding was...
December 12, 2013

Foodscapes (Project)

Project aim Foodscapes aims to explore how arts intervention and cultural engagement can help address social and economic exclusion, food poverty, and sustainability. It has been funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council/Economic and...
December 12, 2013
The overall goal of FarmPath is to identify and assess future transition pathways towards regional sustainability of agriculture in Europe, and the social and technological innovation needs required to initiate and progress along these pathways....
November 11, 2013
A promising area for managing insect pests is through improved understanding of the importance of microbes associated with insects. Many insect species rely on symbiotic bacteria for their survival and these ‘hidden players’ residing...
November 11, 2013
October 10, 2013
The productivity of major crops such as barley could get a boost in the future thanks to discoveries in the inner workings of genes and how they influence crop development, a new study from the James Hutton Institute and the University of Dundee...
June 6, 2013
Two universities and a major research provider are joining forces to position Scotland at the forefront of the global challenge to feed, sustainably, a growing world population. The vision is to build an alliance of excellence which brings...
June 6, 2013

Scottish Rivers Handbook (Research Page)

The Scottish Rivers Handbook has been produced by the James Hutton Institute and the University of Stirling for CREW, the Centre of Expertise for Waters. It is an accessible, fully illustrated 36 page book providing an overview of the physical...
February 2, 2013

URflood: Funders (Research Page)

February 2, 2013

URflood: Links (Research Page)

Partners The James Hutton Institute Suomen ympäristökeskus (Finnish Environment Institute) University College Dublin
February 2, 2013

URflood: Partners (Research Page)

The James Hutton Institute
October 10, 2012
August 8, 2012
We have a global reputation for our work crops, and in particular using high-throughput phenotyping approaches, such as metabolomics and transcriptomics, to assess a range of quality characteristics and their genetic control.
July 7, 2012
Background and rationale
May 5, 2012
Researchers at the James Hutton Institute are working on a number of ways to tighten nutrient cycles. This involves a combination of knowledge into how to reuse societies 'wastes' such as sewage effluent discharges as valuable nutrient...
May 5, 2012

Water and food security (Research Page)

Water shortages and drought are the greatest threats facing global food security. At the James Hutton Institute we use a combination of plant and soil sciences to identify crop traits and crop production systems that can maintain crop yield and...
April 4, 2012
Isotopes
February 2, 2012
COMET-LA was a project coordinated by the University of Cordoba and funded under the European Commission Framework Programme 7. The acronym stands for “COmmunity-based Management of EnvironmenTal challenges in Latin America”. The...
December 12, 2011

Plant Soil Ecology (Research Page)

The mechanistic understanding of below-ground processes from gene to landscape scale is fundamental to our ability to deliver excellent science in managed and (semi)natural environments. It is an imperative to address agricultural sustainability...
March 3, 2011

Gary Polhill (Member of Staff)


Printed from /category/tags/food-security on 19/03/24 05:59:02 AM

The James Hutton Research Institute is the result of the merger in April 2011 of MLURI and SCRI. This merger formed a new powerhouse for research into food, land use, and climate change.