Innovation, technology and transition

Achieving the transition to sustainability presents profound challenges for all land-based socio-technical systems such as food production, water and energy supply, forest management, and biodiversity conservation. Fundamentally, sustainable land use systems need to emerge from established approaches at a rate beyond the ‘normal’ pace of change. Innovation, both external to and from within established systems, is therefore critical. It can, however, be constrained by a wide range of factors such as social practices and life-styles, embedded technologies, economic and financial structures, ecological boundaries, and rigid governance. Given these wider conditions, goal-oriented innovation (such as climate change adaptation) often needs dedicated and targeted support in order to develop.

Research undertaken at Bangor University is investigating the potential impacts of various novel practices and innovative technologies on land use. Our focus is on understanding, for example, new grazing and on-farm practices, the impact of digital technologies, and new approaches to experiential learning and research embedded within the landscape. Current projects include:

• BEACON- A Bioefining Centre of Excellence for Wales
• Precision Grazing to Improve the Resilience of Livestock Production Systems
• KASP genomic selection: improving farmers' livelihoods through better rice varieties