It’s the season for a cold afternoon ‘gin & tonic’ on ice. The health impact of one too many is questionable, but what is the environmental footprint of that classically delicious aperitif? An international team of researchers has worked with a a pioneering distillery manager to answer this question in a study published in the scientific journal Environment International [2].

Two projects aimed at restoring biodiversity in the River Dee catchment will receive more than £350,000 from a new competitive national fund from Scottish Natural Heritage. The Aberdeenshire projects were selected alongside 12 others across Scotland to share £1.8 million in funding to help the county meet its international biodiversity commitments.

Join us at our Invergowrie site, near Dundee, on Thursday 25th July for the 2019 edition of Fruit for the Future, the annual showcase of soft fruit research including scientific presentations, outdoors demonstrations and walks through experimental plots, presented by the James Hutton Institute and the Scottish Society for Crop Research.

This year's event will feature an official opening by Ben MacPherson MSP, the Scottish Government's Minister for Europe, Migration and International Development.

Highlights of the 2019 programme include:

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 they reach our dinner plates. Increasing resistance of pathogens to pesticides and tightening regulations that restrict the use of our remaining chemical control agents have had a cumulative negative effect on food production. Beyond this, climate change is already increasing the spread of harmful pests and pathogens.

Dieter Helm CBE, Professor of Economics at the University of Oxford and Fellow of New College, Oxford, has been announced as the speaker of the 42^nd T.B. Macaulay Lecture, presented in partnership by the James Hutton Institute and the Macaulay Development Trust on 2^nd October 2019 at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh EH8 8AS.

The James Hutton Institute has contributed to a body of evidence compiled by the Scottish Industrial Biotechnology Development Group to demonstrate Scotland’s global competitiveness in biorefining and attracting inward investment.

The role of grazing in dairy farming the UK has become increasingly contentious; dairy farming in the UK has changed from seasonal housing and grazing to around a fifth of farmers housing cows all year around. This change continues to be controversial with the public, and consumers are concerned about the environmental, welfare and social impacts of large farms housing cows all year around.

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 crop management techniques and ways to create sustainable and healthy production systems.

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 therefore needed.

The report, produced by a partnership between the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) and Oxfam, reflects that whilst there is clear policy and political commitment on all the Goals in Scotland, more needs to be done in some areas to meet the 2030 targets.

Do you have any burning questions about key issues influencing Scotland’s arable industry? Come to Arable Scotland (Balruddery Farm near Dundee, 2 July 2019), the newly launched event focussing on the innovations that will drive the markets and the viability of Scottish arable production, and take part in the brand-new Arable Conversations.