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Peer Backs Applied Research And The SAC Approach To Knowledge Transfer - Lord Selborne Speaks At SAC Annual Dinner (Archived Content)

SAC News Release Ref. No: 09N74
Published: 18 Nov 2009

Earl of Selborne at the SAC Dinner (opens in new window)

"I only wish that the rest of the UK started with the inestimable benefit of SAC to make its contribution to the role of technology transfer." The Earl of Selborne was speaking after the Annual SAC Dinner where the issue of applied research into agriculture, food and climate change and getting the results to producers had come under scrutiny.

As Chair of the "Living with Environmental Change Programme" (LWEC), which is a partnership of 20 UK organisations that aims to bring together £1 billion of research funding to use in environmental research, he explained he was very aware of the challenges ahead and the need to get sound advice out to land managers.

"Suddenly global food security is back on the agenda," he said. "The UK's chief scientist has spoken of a "perfect storm" where the consequences of climate change, loss of biodiversity, shortage of fresh water and rising world population are all converging.  There is a real need for new technologies and changed lifestyles to meet these global challenges against tough UK targets of an 80% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and doubling world food production."

Referring to a paper delivered earlier in the evening by Professor John Oldham, Head of SAC Research, Lord Selborne agreed there had been a long steady decline in UK applied research capacity over the years.  As Chairman of the Agriculture and Food Research Council from 1983 – 89, he had played his part in closing several centres as government then regarded agricultural research as less important. Not so today.

"The case for publicly funded research in the United Kingdom to underpin agriculture, forestry and other land use sectors needs to be based on the benefits and services that these sectors can be expected to make to society in the future," said Lord Selborne.

He explained that while the most important of these benefits is the production of sustainable, competitively priced food, there were other uses for land. The provision of clean water, flood control, biodiversity, energy crops, carbon sequestration and those targets. They could only be met through innovation.

"We need therefore to concentrate our minds quickly on what research we need to meet these objectives. We need to ensure that we have the research capacity in place to undertake the required programmes and have the skills and expertise within our research community," he said.

"However we also need to ensure that once the research is delivered we have an extension service which can effectively transfer the new technologies and agricultural systems to the land use managers on the ground.

Calling for the preparation of a clear road map of the way ahead for both research and industry he appealed for a cooperative approach. A "priorities forum" would include those funding relevant research, the delivery agencies and policy advisers, as well as farmers and land managers.

"Meanwhile", he warned, "We need to ensure that no more of the national research infrastructure relevant to land use is dismantled. Then when the road map is agreed it will be essential to ensure that suitable channels are available for transferring the research to the land managers.  Each region will have different needs. I only wish that the rest of the United Kingdom started with the inestimable benefit of SAC to make its contribution to this role of technology transfer."

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News Release Issued By

Mr Ken Rundle
Senior Communications Officer
SAC (Scottish Agricultural College) Work SAC, King's Buildings, West Mains Road,
Edinburgh
EH9 3JG
TelWork 0131 535 4196

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Notes for Editors

Lord John Selborne has a long association with agriculture, education, conservation, science and technology. He has his own fruit farm and in his time has been a member of the Apple and Pear Development Council, the Hops Marketing Board, the Agriculture and Food Research Council, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and, more recently on UNESCO's World Commission on the ethics of Science and Technology.

He is a past president of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, the Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene and the Royal Geographical Society.  He remains President of the Foundation for Science and Technology and is presently Vice Chairman of the all party Science and Technology Group and the Water Group.  He served on the Draft Climate Change Bill Joint Committee.