GSA UNESCO Biosphere and SRUC complete landmark partnership project promoting agricultural resilience
The Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere Partnership (GSABP) and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) have completed a pioneering partnership project exploring whole-farm planning for business and environmental sustainability.
It was announced in August 2023 that southwest Scotland’s UNESCO Biosphere was one of five sites selected to participate in an international peer learning project looking at implementation of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, with other winning proposals coming from UNESCO sites in France, Montenegro, Romania, and the United States. GSABP was awarded a US$25,000 grant from UNESCO, funded by the abrdn Charitable Foundation, to support a 12-month project developing a holistic methodology for assessing natural capital on farms, trialling auditing techniques in real time and developing an innovative methodology with the potential to be expanded nationwide.
In developing the project the GSA Biosphere’s Land Use & Biodiversity team worked with SAC Consulting, the SRUC’s specialist service providing independent advice for rural businesses. The new methodology examines six ‘pillars’ of natural capital including biodiversity, carbon capture and soil health, with the team analysing over 100 audit tools to find those best suited to use on farms and estates. Aiming to halt degradation of natural habitats, improve soil health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while improving the farm business, the methodology equips users to make recommendations based on a holistic view of each farm holding, providing managers with the tools to identify the best possible interventions for their land. To take the peer-to-peer learning forward for the benefit of future land managers, a curriculum in natural capital was developed and delivered to HNC Agriculture students at SRUC’s Barony Campus.
As the project approached its conclusion, an international delegation from UNESCO and the abrdn Charitable Foundation met Biosphere Trustees and heard from partner organisations including NatureScot, the NFUS, Dumfries & Galloway Council and South of Scotland Enterprise during a one-day conference and tour that included visiting a working farm and some of the UNESCO region’s most important environmental sites. As part of UNESCO’s programme of international knowledge exchange, GSABP’s Land Use and Biodiversity team sent a representative to Venice this month to present findings at the Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe and meet the next recipients of UNESCO/abrdn’s funding award for sustainable development projects, which has just launched its final round of awards to run through 2024/25.
With increasing discussion around Scotland’s climate targets and the country adjusting to a revised Agriculture Bill incorporating new requirements for managing natural capital, the project is especially of its time. Ed Forrest, Director of the Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere, said: “This is a critical period for farming locally and globally as we grapple with climate change and economic uncertainty, and developing this methodology addresses the urgent need to evaluate and protect natural capital on Scotland’s farms. We are proud to be able to support the optimisation of farming businesses in such a tangible way, and to promote a wider understanding of the exceptional natural capital we have in our UNESCO Biosphere. Our thanks to UNESCO and the abrdn Charitable Foundation for enabling us to create a toolkit that is accessible, proven to work, and which has such huge potential as part of agricultural innovation in Galloway and Southern Ayrshire and across Scotland.”
The Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Partnership is a registered Scottish Charity (SC044137) supported by core funding from South of Scotland Enterprise and Dumfries & Galloway, East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire Councils. Our work covers the entire UNESCO-designated region, more than 9,700km² of terrestrial and marine areas and communities that are collectively home to over 105,000 people. The Partnership delivers a variety of collaborative projects in conservation, education, enterprise and climate resilience, all of which are targeted towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
