National Science / Social Science Week

The UK Rural Economy and Land Use Debates
6.00pm – 7.30pm

Royal Academy of Engineering, 29 Great Peter Street, London, SW1P 3LW

The debates explored some of the issues faced by rural areas in the UK today and being tackled by collaborative research between social and natural scientists in the RELU Programme.

Energy crops running out of steam?
Mon 13th March

Debate Report

Presentations
Dr Angela Karp, Deputy Head of the Plant and Invertebrate Ecology Division, Rothamsted Research;

Professor Peter Lillford, Chair, National Non-Food Crops Centre

Sir Ben Gill, Chair, Biomass Task Force

Were any lessons learned from Foot and Mouth?
Wed 15th March

Debate Report

Presentations

Professor Neil Ward, Director, Centre for Rural Economy, Newcastle University;

Professor Jeff Waage, Director, Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London

Dr Fred Landeg, Director and Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer, Defra

Farming's no place for wildlife?
Thur 16th March

Debate Report

Presentations

Professor Bill Sutherland, Populations and Conservation, University of East Anglia

Professor Nick Hanley, Environmental Economics, Stirling University

Dr Richard Bradbury, Senior Research Biologist, RSPB

Food Miles: should we be buying food from abroad?
Fri 17th March

Debate Report

Presentations:

Professor Gareth Edwards-Jones, Agriculture and Land Studies, University of Wales, Bangor

Professor Mike Winter, Professor of Rural Policy and Director of the Centre for Rural Research, Exeter University

Ms Malini Mehra, Founder, Centre for Social Markets (UK/India)

Also see press releases