Scotland must make most of its strengths in crisis recovery

Supporting natural economy should be a priority for farmers, businesses and organisations in a post-Covid-19 world

“Never let a serious crisis go to waste – it’s an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.”

These words, spoken by Rahm Emanuel, a former chief of staff to President Obama and an ex-mayor of Chicago, may seem flippant given the scale of the Covid-19 emergency and the impact it has had on our day-to-day lives. But his fundamental point still applies – crises offer us a chance to remake ourselves and to do things better. What were perhaps nice ideas before may be judged essential now.

In Scotland, attention is rightfully trained on what our post-coronavirus economy will look like.

Reporting in June, the Advisory Group on Economic Recovery (AGER) highlighted the importance of Scotland’s natural capital, noting that we possess “outstanding natural assets” which represent “an area of significant ‘comparative advantage’ for the country”.

Nature may have given Scotland many advantages – as many a farmer can testify – but it has never been more important to make the most of what we have.

At SRUC, we have sought to quantify exactly what this “natural economy” is, what it currently contributes to Scotland, and what we can do to enhance its performance.

A report commissioned from BiGGAR Economics defines the natural economy as the six sub-sectors that either directly use, rely on or contribute to conserving natural resources: Tourism, food and drink, fishing and aquaculture, agriculture, energy and forestry.

There is no doubt that Scotland’s farmers have played a critical role during the pandemic, but it is also clear they have a crucial part to play during the nation’s economic recovery.

The nation’s response to the crisis and how we design new approaches to economic recovery will bring together all kinds of people, organisations and agencies. As custodians of the land, as businesses, as providers of training grounds, and as employers, Scotland’s farmers are key.

This is especially true when we consider the interconnectedness of farming and industries such as food and drink and tourism and the growing popularity of diversification.

At SRUC, our focus on the natural economy – which spans both rural and urban – presents us with outstanding opportunities to attract new students, new people and new investment. Two of our new degree courses – Sustainable Food Production and Land Use and

Agricultural Technology – are perfect examples of how we are equipping students with the knowledge to support Scotland’s economic recovery.

Our research continues to tackle the “wicked challenges” – including climate change – facing the world, while Agrecalc is one of many ways our colleagues in SAC Consulting are helping rural businesses to improve sustainability and reduce their environmental impact.

In 2018, Scotland’s natural economy was valued at more than £29 billion, which is more than a fifth of our entire output. Some 11% of all employment in Scotland – nearly 300,000 jobs – is in the natural economy.

In areas where we are already strong, we must become even stronger.

Supporting our natural economy can form a key component of recovery and renewal – Scotland’s higher and further education sector and research institutes have a key role to play in driving this support.

A more integrated approach to developing the sectors that make up the natural economy can and will enhance Scotland’s overall performance, not least by driving up productivity, enhancing technical skills and boosting resilience.

As the path to our post-pandemic world becomes clearer, Scotland’s natural economy can be front and centre on that path.