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Organised jointly by the Association of Applied Biologists, the British Society for Animal Science and the Agricultural Economics Society it explored how best to provide evidence for policy makers interested in climate change, food security, the impact of agriculture on the environment and animal health and welfare.

Economists, agricultural scientists and climate change specialists shared experiences with integrated scientists and policy makers. Most of the 76 participants came from the UK but some had travelled from New Zealand and Australia. The goal was to improve understanding of how changes in the biophysical, economic and social environment might impact on agricultural production and ecosystem services and consider the wider policy implications for society.

Professor Maggie Gill, Chief Scientific Adviser for Rural Affairs and Environment to the Scottish Government, challenged the assembled researchers to consider the policy makers’ needs when formulating their research plans. Policy makers dislike conflicting information and often want quick answers to their questions. They see scientists as not only having a role in providing the answers to the questions but in framing the questions themselves.

A final session panel, chaired by Professor John Oldham and consisting of Sinclair Mayne, Departmental Scientific Adviser with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Northern Ireland, Dominic Moran, Environmental Economist, SAC and Graham Russell, University of Edinburgh, identified that investing time in these issues at the start of a project can pay dividends later.  If research is to be used in framing policy, scientists need to assess issues they may have not previously considered, such as the trade-offs between public and private goods, the efficiency of measures and the equity of their research  outcomes.