Supporting innovation in agriculture

Projects which aim to boost food security in Scotland and address the biodiversity and climate crises will benefit from a major Scottish Government funding programme.

At The Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh on Friday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced major investment of more than £200 million through the 2022 to 2027 Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Strategic Research Programme (SRP).

The Scottish Government is one of the largest funders of agri-environmental research in the UK, and will provide funding with a focus on strategic environment, natural resources and agriculture research.

The programme will invest in varied innovative projects, including:

• Greenhouse Gas Reductions for agriculture and livestock
• crops for vertical farms, which will help to produce a wide range of economically valuable crops
• vaccine research into animal diseases, including Bovine Respiratory Disease

The fund backs long-term research programmes and science facilities which directly support Scotland’s academic research base and allows research institutes to leverage additional funding from other funders.

At the show, the First Minister spoke to industry leaders in a breakfast briefing, and met with farmers and a variety of Scotland’s food and drink producers.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:

“The Scottish Government provides significant funding to our major research institutes to explore issues such as planet and animal health, and food security. In total, we are investing more than £200 million in the next five years, which will support over 150 projects.

“They cover issues which are of central concern to the agriculture sector such as the resilience of livestock to climate change; how to reduce climate change emissions from farming and livestock; and the way in which anti-microbial resistance and pathogens spread into the food chain, and then into humans.

“The support confirms our determination, in a tough financial climate, to ensure that Scotland continues to make an important contribution to research on agriculture and the environment, contributing to the success and sustainability of our farming and food sectors.

“The Royal Highland Show celebrates the best in farming, food and the rural industry across Scotland and I am very pleased to visit this year to celebrate the show’s 200th anniversary.”