A new research facility has opened in Scotland to study food and water security and climate change and how they can be applied to business and economic recovery.
Improving crop yields, developing
sustainable farming methods, creating a
low carbon economy and supporting
biodiversity are the main goals of the
James Hutton Institute, which opened this week with a reported £100 million of funding over five years. The newly launched institute will bring together the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute and the Scottish Crop Research Centre, as well as employ about 600 scientists, researchers and supporting staff.
The institute will work to apply its scientific findings to social economics, geography and information as well as computer science to make sustainable practices commercially viable.
"I can't over-emphasise the fact that we desperately need more people to work in institutes like this. We need more people to think about the important problems of how we address our
food, water and energy security needs," said Sir John Beddington, UK chief scientist.
The institute will cover a range of disciplines, from cell and molecular science to environmental and ecological sciences, and work will be carried out in the laboratory as well as at research stations and farms.
"Scientists at the new Institute are well placed to make a global impact in issues such as food security, changes in land use and impacts of climate change," said Anne Glover, Scotland chief scientific adviser. "They will also have a strengthened role in supporting Scotland’s rural economy and food and drink sectors. The James Hutton Institute will help maintain Scotland’s world-leading science base in these key areas."
GreenCow Research Facility for Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The opening of the James Hutton Institute follows the launch of the GreenCow Research Facility for Greenhouse Gas Emissions at the Scottish Agricultural College outside Edinburgh, last month. It will study how to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from livestock, particularly methane, which is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
The two facilities are part of £3.5 million of research funding pledged by Scottish Government to link science and business and strengthen the economic recovery of Scotland.
"Investment in science will help Scotland become more resilient to environmental change, optimise the use of our land and other valuable natural assets," Lochhead said.
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