Latest Briefing for 2011
Putting 'Good Practice' in Context - Lessons for Catchment Management
In recent years, collaborative and cross-sectoral approaches have been recommended as the most effective and equitable way to achieve better water quality in catchments. However, the realisation that such an approach is often the right thing to do does not mean that this is a simple and predictable process.
Previous research has identified several factors that promote collaborative management success including the use of adaptive management approaches, good communications between stakeholders and management of conflictive situations. However, critical assessment of past case studies shows that following good practice processes may not always result in successful outcomes (e.g. increased engagement, sustainable process, improved water quality) as other factors can intervene such as lack of funding, poor coordination, and difficulties in maintaining engagement with key stakeholders. This research addresses the need to understand the factors that may influence the efficacy, efficiency and equity of such processes.
Read morePublished on 6 December 2011 in Sustainability and Communities , Climate, water and energy , Ecosystems and biodiversity
Briefings for 2011
Designing effective flood warning systems in Scotland
The risks from flooding can never be completely eliminated but the harm caused by floods can be greatly reduced or mitigated by effective flood warning systems. Read more
Published on 2 November 2011 in Climate, water and energy
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. Read more
Published on 17 October 2011 in Ecosystems and biodiversity , Food, health and wellbeing
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
River Basin Planning meets Spatial Planning
The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD), seen by many as a 'Sustainability Directive', strongly emphasises the need for closer ties between river basin management and land use planning. Read more
Published on 18 August 2011 in Climate, water and energy
Encouraging land-manager contributions to protecting and enhancing the water environment
The Scottish Government recognises water as a key resource that is . Read more
Published on 9 August 2011 in Climate, water and energy
How to expand the market for ethical food products?
This note discusses ways in which the market of ethical food can be expanded based on lessons extracted from several pieces of research carried out by the SRUC Food Marketing Research team. Read more
Published on 19 July 2011 in Sustainability and Communities
Addressing farmland biodiversity concerns effectively in the Common Agricultural Policy
Farmland is one of the dominant land covers in Europe, covering over 45% (173 million hectares) of the European Union’s 27 Member States. Read more
Published on 19 July 2011 in Sustainability and Communities , Ecosystems and biodiversity
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
Investigating the benefits of agritourism in Scotland using a typology-based approach
The capacity for agritourism to generate private economic benefits for farmers has been established in a range of international contexts. Read more
Published on 26 May 2011 in Sustainability and Communities
