Academic Advisory Panel – 5 February 2024 - Summary

Items and actions

Impact of the real living wage and post-Brexit labour availability on food production and processing in Scotland, and identification of the key gaps in knowledge and innovation systems for land managers that need to be addressed over the next 3-5 years.

1. Introduction 

 The chair welcomed the Academic Advisory Panel (AAP) members and introduced the meeting. The panel was informed that Professor Deb Roberts has stepped down from the panel as she wants to focus her efforts on her new role on the board of the Scottish Land Commission.

2. Impact of the real living wage and post-Brexit labour availability on food production and processing in Scotland.

The advisory note on the above topic has been requested by ARIOB and it will be provided to ARIOB members ahead of the next meeting in March.

A high level overview and key findings from a research report, commissioned by the Scottish Government, on Seasonal Migrant Workers in Scottish Agriculture were presented to the anel to provide some background information relevant to the topic discussed. The panel was asked to provide their advice on the impact of wage and labour availability on immediate supplies of food, supply chain resilience, long term prospects, viability of the industry, and mitigation measures that should be considered.

The discussion raised the following points:

• actions to improve business viability and supply chain resilience, while maintaining current levels of domestic production and access to locally grown nutritious produce should be considered
• in order to improve both Scotland’s appeal as an employment destination and workers wellbeing and financial prospects, enhanced support for seasonal farm workers is required
• the global seasonal labour shortages are likely to drive future automation development in the soft fruit sector. However, challenges and limitations associated with the sector bring a high degree of uncertainty to the development timescales and prospects
• a modelling exercise of key factors affecting the food production sector could be a useful tool in understanding impacts of specific factors on the whole supply chain

3. Identification of key gaps in knowledge and innovation systems for land managers that need to be addressed over the next 3-5 years.

The advisory note on the above topic has been requested by ARIOB and it will be provided to ARIOB members ahead of the meeting in the second quarter of 2024.

The report on Establishing an agricultural knowledge and innovation system commissioned by the ClimateXChange Centre of Expertise was presented to the panel. This report provides an evidence review and options appraisal of different learning models, and is being used as a guidance for development of policy options for the ‘Complementary Support’ Tier 4 of the Agriculture Reform Programme. The panel discussed the best ways to address gaps and deficiencies of the current knowledge exchange and innovation systems, and methods to promote wider uptake of learning activities. Below is a summary of the key points raised:

• peer-to-peer learning is crucial for establishing an innovation ecosystem in Scotland
• strategic oversight, governance, and evaluation of the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) as a whole would be beneficial
• there needs to be a clear pathway for external funding to support development of knowledge exchange and innovation systems, including strategies for innovation funding
• consistent messaging from researchers, industry experts, and knowledge providers is helpful for the effective dissemination of knowledge
• to be inclusive and reach a wide audience, an effective knowledge exchange and innovation system should incorporate a diverse range of engagement strategies. Innovative approaches should be considered to engage with under-engaged farmers and crofters
• educational system should provide apprenticeships and learning courses which equip the new generation of farmers, crofters and land managers with knowledge and skills required to address future challenges
• further expanding the pool of experts and research providers engaged in services offered by the Farm Advisory Service (FAS) would enhance the breadth of advice provided by the service

4. AOB

The next AAP meeting has been brought forward to 4 March 2024 to align the panel’s advice on water scarcity and flooding with a water scarcity roundtable commitment set out in Programme for Government.