The James Hutton Institute

We are delighted to have worked with Arbikie Distillery, Abertay University and partners of the TRansition paths to sUstainable legume based systems in Europe project to support the development of a unique product: Nàdar, the world's first #ClimatePositive #gin. Transdisciplinary, pan-European research in action for a more sustainable planet! Read more: http://bit.ly/2ucsuQd

“While future scenarios for rainfall and runoff are highly uncertain, there’s less doubt that the future has greater variability in extremes of rainfall, both in terms of floods and droughts,” our Professor Marc Stutter says to The Guardian’s Jonathan Watts: https://www.theguardian.com/…/uk-must-p repare-for-more-inte…

‪“Institutes like ours, doing #research on the #climatecrisis and finding nature-based solutions for a variety of issues, are stimulating the right type of the green economy. Invest in research; it pays back”, writes our Chief Executive, Professor Colin Campbell, in The Scotsman today: https://www.scotsman.com/…/professor-co lin-campbell-bridgin…

Chronic ill-health, loss of financial stability and anxiety brought on by heavy rainfall are some of the enduring effects of #flooding on individuals, according to new research by scientists of the James Hutton Institute and the University of Aberdeen, funded by Scotland's Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW). Great article in The Guardian by Scotland correspondent Libby Brooks: https://www.theguardian.com/…/scottish- study-reveals-signif…

The role of #plantsciences in safeguarding key #foodcrops is well-known, but did you know #socialsciences have an increasingly important role to play too? Read this short piece by Hutton social scientists to learn more: https://www.pressreader.com/…/the-…/2 0200210/282780653505845

Pulses (chickpeas, dry beans, lentils, dry peas, lupins & others) are incredibly sustainable crops that can make a huge contribution to global food security. On #WorldPulsesDay, learn how Hutton scientists are at the forefront of research into the exciting possibilities of pulses: http://bit.ly/2up5DBh (Image: Vijaya Narasimha/Pixabay)

Red hot off our digital press: the February 2020 edition of Hutton Highlights, our quarterly review. In this issue: crop mixtures for enhanced sustainability: effects of climate change on snow cover in the Cairngorms; turning animal feed green; migration is vital to Scotland's workforce - plus much more. Read it here: https://www.hutton.ac.uk/…/HuttonHighli ghtsFebru…/index.html

Adopting a systems perspective is key to help agriculture contribute to Europe’s own policy objectives and international targets, including the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. That was one of the messages of Hutton scientists Kerry Waylen and Keith Matthews at a MAGIC Nexus breakfast held at the European Parliament last week and hosted by Sheila Ritchie MEP. Read more: http://bit.ly/2v93aus

As we enter the transition period to leave the European Union, we would like to acknowledge the many benefits the James Hutton Institute has gained from the EU.
We will fly the EU flag on Brexit day to say thank you and acknowledge how much we appreciate our EU colleagues, and how grateful we are for all the tremendous cooperation and benefits the EU brought us. It is our signal that we will continue to be as open to, cooperative and engaged with European science as possible. Read more: http://bit.ly/2Oh9Mhg

This fantastic video from Our Planet explains the importance of the Global Seed Vault and how it can help us adapt to a changing climate and protect our food security. Did you know that the Commonwealth Potato Collection, hosted at our Dundee site, made the UK's first-ever deposit in this hugely important seed bank? Read the story here: http://bit.ly/2lw1Nxk

This week, Hutton scientists Kerry Waylen and Keith Matthews are taking part in a MAGIC Nexus session hosted by Sheila Ritchie MEP at the European Parliament in Brussels to discuss how a systemic perspective and a #nexus approach can help transform European agriculture. See http://magic-nexus.eu/news/parliamentary- breakfast for more info.

Agroforestry and peatland restoration can help deliver the major shift in land use recommended by the UK Committee on Climate Change for the UK to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, Hutton scientists say. Read more: bit.ly/37l1HiV

Zero-budget natural farming #ZBNF, a crop production system without any added inputs, is being promoted by the Indian government as an alternative to help tackle food production issues and support farmers' livelihoods. But can it be scaled up without affecting crop yields? A new report in Nature Sustainability by scientists from the University of Aberdeen - School of Biological Sciences and our Informational and Computational Sciences department tackles the question. Read more: http://bit.ly/2v9ERg8

Congrats to Dr Tony Craig on being appointed leader of our Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences department. SEGS are a key capability for us spanning #economics, #geography, #sociology, #anthropology, #psychology and more. Also huge thanks to Dr Alice Hague for her contribution to the role over the past year. Read more: http://bit.ly/3ainqdj

We are delighted to see soil health at the top of government priorities. When we lose soil, we lose nutrients, we lose biodiversity and we lose carbon. Scotland's soils have 3 gigatonnes of carbon, equivalent to 186 years of greenhouse gas emissions, and could sequester even more!

Congratulations and good luck to Professor Rob Brooker on being appointed to the leadership of our Ecological Sciences group, at a critical time for the environment in Scotland and globally in the face of challenges including the climate emergency, the global biodiversity crisis, and an urgent need to develop sustainable farming systems. Read more: http://bit.ly/3ad3jNw

2020 is the International Year of Plant Health #IYPH2020 and Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters #YCW2020, bringing public attention to two huge global challenges and for good reason, say scientists at the James Hutton Institute. Read more: http://bit.ly/2FBnbMj