The UK Committee on Climate Change’s new report's [2] recognition of agroforestry and peatland restoration as key actions to help deliver the major shift in land use needed to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 has been welcomed by researchers based at the James Hutton Institute.

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 natural farming differs from traditional organic farming in that it does not attempt to provide the nutrients needed for crop growth using animal manures, but instead aims to change the functioning of the soil–crop system so that nutrients are made available to crops without the need for external inputs.

Dr Tony Craig has been appointed head of the Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences (SEGS) department, having previously been in the role on an interim basis jointly with Dr Alice Hague. Dr Craig will take the role on a permanent basis at the beginning of April.

Professor Rob Brooker has been appointed to the leadership of the Ecological Sciences department at the James Hutton Institute, following the departure of Dr Helaina Black, who has become an Honorary Associate of the Institute.

The group carries out research around the world on the ecology of organisms and ecosystems and is well known for its multidisciplinary approach with ecologists working closely with social scientists, economists, mathematical modellers and others.

2020 is the International Year of Plant Health and Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters, bringing public attention to two huge global challenges and for good reason, say scientists at the James Hutton Institute.

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, including cooking climate-smart, alternative meals, some of them using excellent Scottish produce. That’s the message of Professor Derek Stewart, the James Hutton Institute’s agri-food sector lead, who even has a few recipe ideas to try out during the festive season.

The experiences of three Hutton members of staff who have chosen Scotland as a place to live and work have been highlighted by their designation as Talent Ambassadors by TalentScotland, part of Scottish Enterprise, the country’s economic development agency.

Dr Isabelle Colas (Cell and Molecular Sciences), Dr Jagadeesh Yeluripati (Information and Computational Sciences) and Bernardo Rodriguez-Salcedo (Communications) are now part of a network of skilled international professionals from around the world who have chosen to live in Scotland.

Professor Alison Hester, a senior research scientist within the James Hutton Institute’s Ecological Sciences group in Aberdeen, has been awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) in recognition of outstanding contributions to science and its application to real-world issues.

Lynn Cassells and Sandra Baer, managers of Lynbreck Croft, have picked up the Nature of Scotland 2019 Food and Farming Award, sponsored by the James Hutton Institute, for their success in establishing a 150-acre mixed habitat croft enterprise focussed on sustainable food production.

‘Erosion’ is partly a natural process where soil particles are transported by our rivers and streams to the sea. ‘Accelerated erosion’ however, is caused by inappropriate land use or land management and this is a global issue that affects our ability to manage soils sustainably. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has estimated that a third of the world’s soils are already degraded. While much of this degradation is found in low-income countries, Scotland is not immune to the adverse effects of soil erosion.