SRUC - Scotland's Rural College

SRUC has been informing and shaping agricultural policy in Scotland and beyond for many decades, through combining economic analysis with detailed on-farm data collection.

Much of this is the result of the groundbreaking Scottish Farm Business Survey (SFBS) which was first initiated in the 1930s and has been running ever since.

Today, more than 500 farms in Scotland take part in the survey, the most comprehensive of its kind in the UK. In return for participation, farmers receive a detailed report, performance benchmarking and a whole-farm carbon audit using SRUC’s innovative carbon calculator, Agrecalc.

Agrecalc is a highly effective sustainability tool that helps farmers measure and manage the carbon footprint of their farms. It is a key enabler to tackling climate change and achieving net zero for the Scottish and UK Governments.

Data and analysis from the SFBS have informed Scotland’s Climate Change Plan and fed into the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, as well as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The longevity and timeframe of the SFBS provides a vital and informative insight into the evolution and development of agricultural policy over nine decades, including the 1930s depression, the Second World War, and entry to and exit from the European Union.

Using data from the SFBS, researchers and analysts at SRUC have developed independent and advanced modelling that is integral to the Scottish Government’s agricultural policy. Examples include the development of a payment regime to replace subsidies under the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy and support schemes for farmers in less favoured areas.

SRUC has conducted similar analyses to support farming policies for other devolved administrations and nations.