SAC Research

A series of regionally based one-day meetings held in the Spring of 2005 explored the theme “Soils – the Foundation of the Rural Economy?”

Each meeting was based on the same format and brought together regional stakeholders involved in land management (for example, policy-makers, planners, water service providers, amenity managers, farmers, horticultural societies, Wildlife Trusts, researchers and community representatives).

Meeting objectives:

• 1. Identify the perceived challenges and drivers in relation to sustainable land management in UK regions;
• 2. Increase the understanding of all stakeholders of each others priorities, how these are developed and the interactions and trade-offs between different priorities for soil function and land use;
• 3. Increase the understanding of stakeholders with regard to the functions and role of soil as a key foundation for the environmental basis of the rural economy.
• 4. Encourage the development of a regional action plan for good soil management within a framework of sustainable land management;
• 5. Identify practical actions that can be taken by all stakeholders to increase uptake of sustainable soil management approaches;
• 6. Collate, contrast and compare information on stakeholder understanding and perception of sustainable land use at a regional level from all regions of the UK