Latest Briefing in Food, health and wellbeing for 2011

High Nature Value Farming Indicators established for Scotland

A previous Knowledge Scotland Research Briefing (Identifying And Supporting High Nature Value Farming Systems, May 2009) has provided a background to the development of the European High Nature Value (HNV) farming systems concept. That Briefing highlighted that there was a requirement (set by the European Commission) to establish a baseline of the extent of HNV farming systems occurring in Scotland and to develop mechanisms to track trends in that HNV farming system resource within the life-span of the 2007-2013 Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP). Although not a focus of that briefing, there was also a requirement to establish a similar baseline and track trends in Scotland’s HNV forestry system resource.

To achieve this, the Scottish Government established a small High Nature Value Farming and Forestry Indicators Technical Working Group, comprising Scottish Government analysts, scientists and policy advisor together with representation from Forestry Commission Scotland, RSPB Scotland, SAC and Scottish Natural Heritage. The remit of the group was “To assess the feasibility of producing HNV indicators for Scotland by exploring data availability and associated methodological issues”. The findings of the Group were recently published on the Scottish Government’s website.

HNV Farming - Percentage of UAA Estimated to be HNV

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Published on 17 October 2011 in Ecosystems and biodiversity , Food, health and wellbeing

Briefings in Food, health and wellbeing for 2011

Clubroot in Oilseed Rape

Recent work at SRUC (formerly SAC), in collaboration with ADAS, has revealed that half of all oilseed rape fields in Scotland are infected with clubroot. Read more

Published on 26 September 2011 in Ecosystems and biodiversity , Food, health and wellbeing

Raising the competitiveness of Scotland's agri-food industry

This briefing discusses the results of a research project which aimed to indicate how Scottish agriculture and the wider agri-food industry can improve its competitiveness through raising productivity at both the farm production and food chain level. Read more

Published on 20 September 2011 in Food, health and wellbeing

Nutrients, bioactive compounds, and immune function

Persistent, low-grade inflammation is associated with an impaired immune function. This is a key factor in the development of obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and dysfunction of the gut. Read more

Published on 8 June 2011 in Food, health and wellbeing

New vaccine hopes for endemic sheep disease

Since its introduction into the UK over two decades ago, caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) has become endemic within the national sheep flock. Read more

Published on 18 April 2011 in Sustainability and Communities , Food, health and wellbeing

Targeting mechanisms of hunger and satiety in the fight against obesity

Full4Health is a new . Read more

Published on 5 April 2011 in Food, health and wellbeing

Balancing protein and fibre in our diet

This brief describes research which explores the relationship between dietary protein, red meat, carbohydrate and dietary fibre on the formation of potentially harmful breakdown products in the human gut. Read more

Published on 31 March 2011 in Food, health and wellbeing

Oats could hold the key to a healthier lifestyle

The consumption of whole grain foods, such as wholemeal bread, wholemeal pasta or whole grain cereals (porridge, whole wheat) is associated with lowered risk of heart attack. Read more

Published on 21 March 2011 in Food, health and wellbeing

Nutrition During Pregnancy

During development, the baby is entirely dependent on its mother for its nutrition. It is clear, therefore, that maternal nutrition during pregnancy will have a big effect on outcome. Read more

Published on 16 March 2011 in Food, health and wellbeing

Gut bacteria are essential to human health and recent research is showing how they work

We are not alone. Each and every one of us plays host to millions of bacteria (bugs), the majority of which reside in our guts. Read more

Published on 10 March 2011 in Food, health and wellbeing

One size doesn't fit all! Differences between individuals and the potential implications for dietary health effects

Dietary intakes can play an important role in maintaining human health, however, the response of individuals to specific food ingredients can vary considerably from the effect seen in the population as a whole. Read more

Published on 17 February 2011 in Food, health and wellbeing

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