Lee-Ann Sutherland

Director of International Land Use Study Centre
Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences
T: +44 (0)344 928 5428 (*)
Prof Lee-Ann Sutherland is Director of the James Hutton Institute's International Land Use Study Centre. The innovation centre reflects the Institute's a vision for inclusive, open science that engages the public, stakeholder groups and scientists with a wide range of expertise in tackling the urgent problems of our time: climate change, food and water security, biodiversity preservation and One Health.

Biography

Prof Sutherland is based in the Hutton’s Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences Group. In her role as Director of ILUSC she secured and oversees the Just Transition Hub and Immersive Nature-Based Solutions Space, which aim to build capacity for creative, collaborative research. Raised on a family farm in Canada, Prof Sutherland is a interdisciplinary social scientist with a background European agrarian development, human-environment relations, and farm-level decision-making. She is perhaps best known for her work in developing the ‘Triggering Change’ model of farmer decision-making.  Her current research on recreational approaches to farming engagement (both for non-commercial farmers and on-line gamers) is a progression of her research on land manager relationships with the agri-environment. Lee-Ann is also leading research on social justice issues in agriculture (gender, new entrants, ethnicity) and agricultural knowledge and innovation systems.

Prof Sutherland is a visiting professor at Ruralis in Norway and the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague. She is appointed to the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Rural Studies, Agricultural and Human Values and Land Use Policy. She is appointed to Scottish Government’s Academic Advisory Group for the Agricultural Reform Oversight Board. She has published over 70 peer reviewed journal articles and two academic books to date.

Prof Sutherland is Co-Principle Investigator on the UKRI, Defra, DESNZ and Scottish Government funded Land Use for Net Zero Hub  Home – Lunz Hub.  This innovative collaboration brings together 34 leading organisations from across the UK to identify the pathways forward for achieving Net Zero, biodiversity and other targets for land use, soils and agricultural systems.

Prof Sutherland coordinated the European Commission-funded H2020 PLAID project (Peer to Peer Learning:  Accessing Innovation through Demonstration) (2017-2019) and FP7 FarmPath project (Farming Transitions:  Pathways towards regional sustainability of agriculture in Europe) (2010-2014).  She led the Hutton team on the H2020 RoadMap project, as well as for eight other European Commission-funded projects, and several Scottish Government funded streams of work.

Lee-Ann has a strong interest in social justice issues in the agricultural sector, and was appointed to the Scottish Government’s Women in Agriculture Task Force from 2017 to 2019. She was appointed to be the Coordinating Expert for the EIP Agri Focus Group on New Entrants to Farming (2015-2016) and co-authored the European Parliaments’ Review of New Entrant Supports in 2017.

 

Research

Co-Principle Investigator:  Land Use for Net Zero Hub.  (2023-2027). UKRI, Scottish Government, Defra, DESNZ.

Principle Investigator.  (2024).  SEFARI AKIS Fellowship.

 

 

 

Past research

  • Principle Investigator: H2020 RoadMap: Rethinking the use of antimicrobials in livestock production systems (2019 – 2023)  European Commission.
  • Principle Investigator:  Co-designing and implementing best-fit farming practices (2022 – 2024)  Scottish Government Strategic Research Programme
  • Co-Investigator:  Supporting Scotland’s Land Use Transformations (2022-2024) Scottish Government Strategic Research Programme
  • Co-Investigator: Scottish Government Centre of Expertise on Animal Disease Outbreaks (2022-2023)
  • H2020 AgriLink:  Agricultural Knowledge: Linking farmers, advisors and researchers to boost innovation (2017-2021)
  • H2020 NEWBIE: New Entrant Network:  Business Models for innovation, resilience and entrepreneurship in European Agriculture (2017-2021)
  • H2020 PLAID:  Peer to Peer Learning:  Accessing Innovation through Demonstration. (2017-2019)
  • Women in Farming and the Agriculture Sector.  Scottish Government. (2016-2017)
  • H2020 SALSA:  Small farms, small food businesses and food security.  European Commission-funded H2020 project (2016-2020).
  • EIP Agri Focus Group: New entrants to farming.  Lessons to foster innovation and entrepreneurship.  (2015-2016)
  • PRO AKIS:  Prospects for Farmers’ Support: Advisory Services in European AKIS (2012-2015).  EC FP7 project. (proakis.hutton.ac.uk)
  • FarmPath: Farming Transitions: Pathways towards regional sustainability of agriculture in Europe (2011 to 2014). EC FP7 project. (farmpath.hutton.ac.uk).
  • GILDED: Governance, Infrastructure, Lifestyle Dynamics and Energy Demand: European Post-Carbon Communities: EC Framework 7 Project (2008 to 2012).
  • RELU SCALE: Rural Economy and Land Use Programme project – The Effects of Scale in Organic Agriculture (2006 to 2010).

Publications

The following Publications have not yet been migrated to the James Hutton Institute's Pure service and relate to the research outputs from the two legacy organisations: The Macaulay Land Use Research Institute and The Scottish Crop Research Institute.

Journals

Prior to appointment

  • Small, L.A. (2005) The influence of “family” on agrarian structure: revisiting the family farm debate in Bulgaria and Southern Russia., Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 36, 497-503.
  • Small, L.A. (2004) The opportunity of subsistence-style agriculture: A livelihoods perspective on agrarian change in Central and Eastern Europe., Land-Berichte, 7, 38-57.(In German)
  • Small, L.A. (2003) The opportunity of subsistence-style agriculture: A livelihoods perspective on agrarian change in Central and Eastern Europe., Eastern European Countryside, October, pp45-62.
  • Small, L.A. (2002) Social capital for development: What does it mean when there isn’t any?, Canadian Journal of Development Studies, 13, 7-25.

Technical / contract reports

  • Sutherland, L.A. (2010) An integrated analysis of scale effects in alternative agricultural systems (SCALE). Summary of research findings., Extended Information Note/Booklet for distribution to research participants and other interested parties.
  • Miller, D.R.; Schwarz, G.; Sutherland, L.A.; Morrice, J.G.; Aspinall, R.J.; Barnes, A.; Blackstock, K.L.; Buchan, K.; Donnelly, D.; Hawes, C.; McCrum, G.; McKenzie, B.M.; Matthews, K.; Miller, D.; Renwick, A.; Smith, M.; Squire, G.; Toma, L. (2009) Rural land use study 1: Drivers and decision-making., Final Report, RERAD, Scottish Government, November 2009, pp156.
  • Miller, D.R.; Schwarz, G.; Sutherland, L.A.; Morrice, J.G.; Aspinall, R.J.; Barnes, A.; Blackstock, K.L.; Buchan, K.; Donnelly, D.; Hawes, C.; McCrum, G.; Matthews, K.; Miller, D.; Renwick, A.; Smith, M.; Squire, G.;Toma, L. (2009) Rural land use study 1: Drivers and decision-making., Research Findings No.8. RERAD, Scottish Government, November 2009, pp4.
  • Slee, B.; Bergman, H.; Brown, I.; Huband, S.L.; McCracken, D.; Renwick, A.; Sutherland, L.A.; Thomson, S.; Reed, M. (2009) Rural Land Use Study Project 2: Realising the potential contributions of Scotland’s rural land to delivering sustainable economic growth., Technical Report No.9. Scottish Government Social Research.
  • Miller, D.R.; Schwarz, G.; Sutherland, L.A.; Morrice, J.G.; Aspinall, R.J.; Barnes, A.; Blackstock, K.L.; Buchan, K.; Donnelly, D.; Hawes, C.; McCrum, G.; McKenzie, B.; Matthews, K.B.; Miller, D.; Renwick, A.; Smith, M.; Squire, G.; Toma, L. (2009) Changing land use in rural Scotland – drivers and decision makers., Rural Land Use Study Project 1. Scottish Government Social Research.
  • Slee, B.; Bergman, H.; Brown, I.; Huband, S.L.; McCracken, D.; Renwick, A.; Sutherland, L.A.; Thomson, S.; Reed, M. (2009) Realising the potential contributions of Scotland’s rural land to delivering sustainable economic growth., Rural Land Use Study Project 2. Research Findings No.9. Scottish Government Social Research.
  • Sutherland, L.A.; Fischer, A.; Craig, T.; Gotts, N.M. (2009) GILDED European Policy Brief One., Deliverable from GILDED FP7 Project for European Commission.
  • Miller, D.R.; Schwarz, G.; Sutherland, L.A.; Morrice, J.G.; Barnes, A.; Blackstock, K.L.; Hawes, C.; McKenzie, B.M.; Matthews, K.B.; Renwick, A.; Smith, M.; Toma, L. (2009) Rural land use study 1: Drivers and decision-making., Inception Report, RERAD, Scottish Government.
  • Miller, D.R.; Schwarz, G.; Sutherland, L.A.; Morrice, J.G.; Barnes, A.; Blackstock, K.L.; Hawes, C.; McKenzie, B.M.; Matthews, K.B.; Renwick, A.; Smith, M.; Toma, L. (2009) Rural land use study 1: Drivers and decision-making., First Progress Report, RERAD, Scottish Government.
  • Sutherland, L.A. (2008) CAVES: Complexity, agents, volatility, evidence and scale., Grampian Region Field Research Report. CAVES EU F6 Project.
  • Small, L.A. (2007) SCALE sociocultural pilot study initial report., SCALE team, led by Sigrid Stagl ( University of Sussex, Brighton). SCALE project website – The Effects of Scale in Organic Agriculture.
  • Sutherland, L.A.; Gotts, N.M.; Polhill, J.G. (2006) CAVES: Complexity, agents, volatility, evidence and scale., Grampian Region Field Research Report. CAVES EU F6 Project.
  • Slee, B.; Daw, M.; Daw, D.; Small, L.A. (2003) The demand for agricultural capital/diversification grant schemes., SEERAD, Final Report.

Conference papers

  • Sutherland, L.A.; Burton, R.J.F. (2011) Can we trust the neighbours? Using cultural capital to build social capital in Scotland., The XXIV European Society for Rural Sociology Congress, “Inequality and Diversity in European Rural Areas”, Chania, Greece, 22-25 August 2011.
  • Sutherland, L.A.; Flanigan, S. (2011) Transdisciplinarity in practice: experiences in the FarmPath project., The XXIV European Society for Rural Sociology Congress, “Inequality and Diversity in European Rural Areas”, Chania, Greece, 22-25 August 2011.
  • Darnhofer, I.; Sutherland, L.A. (2011) Advancing the conceptualisation of transition in farming systems., International Conference on Sustainability Transitions, 2nd, Lund, Sweden, 13-15 June 2011.
  • Sutherland, L.A. (2010) GILDED work package one report: Stakeholder advisory groups and research dissemination., European Commission, July 2010.
  • Sutherland, L.A. (2010) ‘Lifestyle’ farming: implications of non-commercial agriculturalists for a sustainable countryside., Farming for a Sustainable Countryside Symposium, Royal Geographical Society, University of Essex, 12-15 July, 2010.
  • Sutherland, L.A. (2010) FarmPath: Farming transitions: Pathways towards regional sustainability of agriculture in Europe., Confronting the Challenges of the Post Crisis Global Economy and Environment, Royal Geographical Society – Institute of British Geography Annual Conference, London, 1 – 3 September, 2010.
  • Polhill, J.G.; Galan-Diaz, C.R.; Gotts, N.M.; Craig, T.; Marshall, K.; Sutherland, L-A.; Kriel, A.; Fischer, A. (2010) The ODDness of modelling: early experiences from a transdisciplinary modelling exercise., Third World Congress on Social Simulation (WCSS 2010), University of Kassel, Germany, 6-9 September 2010.
  • Sutherland, L.A.; Brown, K.M. (2007) Strength in numbers? The neighbourhood effect in English organic farms., European Society for Rural Sociology Conference, XXII, Wageningen, The Netherlands, 20-24 August 2007.
  • Small, L.A. (2006) Modelling social networks: An application for rural sociology?, The XII International Summer School, The Empire of Rules and the Ethics of Social Networks, Institute of International Sociology of Gorizia, Italy, 28 August – 8 September 2006.
  • Small, L.A. (2006) The natural order of things? Why privatisation did not lead to family farming in Russia., Rural Sociology Society Annual Meeting, Louisville Kentucky, 10-13 August 2006.

Conference posters / abstracts

  • Flanigan, S.; Sutherland, L.A. (2011) Transdisciplinarity in practice: experiences in the “FarmPath” project., Network for Transdisciplinary Research (td-net) Conference, Bern, 6 September 2011.
  • Sutherland, L.A. (2011) Lifestyle farming: conceptualising farming as a consumption good., British Sociology Association Annual Conference, London School of Economics, London, 6-8 April 2011.
  • Gotts, N.M.; Sutherland, L.A.; Cudlinova, E.; Kovach, I.; Reusswig, F.; Steg, E.M. (2009) The GILDED Project – Governance, infrastructure, lifestyle dynamics and energy demand: European post-carbon communities., North East Scotland Climate Change Partnership Meeting, 1 May 2009. Handout.
  • Sutherland, L.A.; Gotts, N.M. (2009) GILDED: governance, infrastructure, lifestyle dynamics and energy demand: European post-carbon communities., OpenDoors, Macaulay Institute, Aberdeen, 5-6 June 2009.
  • Sutherland, L.A. (2009) Climate change – it’s a household affair!, OpenDoors, Macaulay Institute, Aberdeen, 5-6 June 2009.
  • Sutherland, L.A. (2009) GILDED research – you can help out!, OpenDoors, Macaulay Institute, Aberdeen, 5-6 June 2009.
  • Sutherland, L.A. (2009) From organic farmers to good farmers: A comparative study of organic and conventional farming ideologies in England., The Joint 2009 Annual Meetings of the Agriculture, Food and Human Values Society (AFHVS) and the Association for the Study of Food and Society (ASFS), Penn State University, State College, PA., 28-31 May 2009.
  • Sutherland, L.A. (2009) Almost organic anyway: Case studies of low input farming in the UK., European Society fro Rural Sociology Congress, XXIII, Vaasa, Finland, 17-21 August 2009.
  • Gotts, N.M.; Sutherland, L.A.; Cudlinova, E.; Kovach, I.; Reusswig, F.; Steg, E.M.; Carnegie, P. (2009) The GILDED Project – Governance, infrastructure, lifestyle dynamics and energy demand: European post-carbon communities., International Scientific Congress on Climate Change, Copenhagen, 10-12 March 2009.

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