SAC Research

This project aims to forge a sensible strategic partnership between research teams and the development of an understanding of each other’s methodologies. In the recent SAC R&D strategy, Land Economy is specifically identified and tasked with providing the socio-economic contextual and policy framework for all sections of SAC’s research portfolio.

Additionally, Crop & Soil Science have recently refocused their activities towards barley and particularly crop health and disease dynamics. Specifically, their strategy states: “To develop systems of crop production which minimise the use of agrochemicals and maximise the efficiency of the plants own defence mechanisms”. This strategic statement itself contains words from economic method (maximise and minimise).

This project aims to:

• Explore the development of an SAC inter-disciplinary crop health economics partnership
• Explore its marketability in terms of SAC research funding bids
• Analyse the resources, skills and disciplines required to service the collaboration
• Analyse what resources are available in-house and what can be provided through strategic partnerships with other institutions.
  • Crop Health Economics is essentially about choosing disease and nutrient management regimes that are socially efficient. This means management approaches that maximise economic and environmental benefits over costs.
  • This comparison comes into play at several points of the production chain; e.g. the decision to plant one variety over another, questions of chemical treatment regimes and even the question of the management of invasive species.
  • Crop Health Economics will draw on traditional crop systems and whole farm economic analysis; as well as, environmental science leading to environmental economics; food quality and nutrition leading to human health economics; and the social sciences.
  • Social science will assist in setting the context and priorities while also assessing the stakeholders concerns and attitudes towards the various health regimes and their practical application.