Rural Law Conference: Sustainable Rural Development
The 2011 conference addressed sustainable rural development in Scotland across the following cross-cutting themes:
- Sustainable land use and management
- Agricultural diversification and entrepreneurship
- Planning for sustainable rural communities
These themes were reflected throughout the 2 day conference examining the following issues:
- Agriculture and forestry
- Hunting and animal welfare
- Planning and land use
- Funding and economic development
- Connecting Land and People (alternatives to mainstream agriculture: crofting, diversification and tourism)
Integrating sessions on both days will address common themes and issues in the sessions ‘Making the Connections’ and ‘Future Connections’.
Making the Connections
The Uplands after Neo-Liberalism: The Role of Small Farms in Rural Sustainability - Professor Mark Shucksmith OBE, Newcastle University
Reform of the CAP – Opportunity or Threat to Sustainable Agriculture? - Mr Brian Pack OBE
Sustainable Rural Development – an overview - Mr Donald Rennie, President of the European Council for Rural Law
Agriculture and Forestry
Key Challenges for Agriculture – Luise Locke, Terra Firma Chambers
Agricultural Tenancies and the Right to Diversify – Hamish Lean, Stronachs
The Forestry Sector – Has Commercial Timber Production become an ‘Inconvenient Truth’? – Dr Andrew Cameron, University of Aberdeen
Genetically Modified Organisms: Protest and the Law - Dr Luc Bodiguel, University of Nantes and Professor Michael Cardwell, University of Leeds
Hunting And Animal Welfare
Wildlife Land Reform – The Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011 – Professor Colin Reid, University of Dundee
Livestock Welfare with an Emphasis on Upland Sheep Systems – Dr Pete Goddard, James Hutton Institute
Combating Wildlife Crime in Grampian – Supt Alan Smailes, Grampian Police
Sustainable Deer Management – Robbie Kernahan, Scottish National Heritage
Funding and Economic Development
The Colour of Money – is Credit Available to UK Agriculture and if so at What Cost? – Key Address - Ian Baker, Relationship Director and Agriculture
Farm and Rural Property Values – Anna Thomas, Savills
The Role of Diversification in Sustainable Farming – Douglas Bell, Senior Agricultural Policy Consultant SAC
Rural Diversification - Jim Drysdale, Partner, Anderson Strathern LLP
Making the Connections
Enabling Citizen Choices about Land Use and the Natural Environment – Dr Mark Reed, University of Aberdeen
The Remaking of the Crofting Community?: Land Reform and the Politics of Place - Dr Calum Mcleod and Derek Flynn
‘Sustainable Rural Development: Implications for Land Owners and Legal Advisers’ – Aylwin Pillai, Univeristy of Aberdeen
A Sustainable Future
‘Key Economic Challenges for Sustainable Rural Economic Development – Opening address: Mr Peter Cook
Connecting People to the Land (King’s College KCG8) Chair: Robert Sutherland, Terra Firma Chambers
Crofting Reform – Nick Reiter, Crofters Commission
Crofting Reform and Key Legal Challenges – Robert Sutherland, Terra Firma Chambers
The Role of Farm Households in Local Communities – Deb Roberts, Univesity of Aberdeen
Ruaig an Fhèidh – Malcolm Combe, University of Aberdeen
Renewable Energy
Renewables Funding – Niall Gemmell, Director of Project Finance in Scotland, Barclays
Planning for Renewable Energy- Elaine Farquharson-Black, Paull & Williamsons
Why Renewables may not be Such a Great Idea Down on The Farm – John Campbell, QC
Meeting Contraversies in the Development of Wind Energy – Professor Anita Ronne, Univesity of Copenhagen
Rural Land Use and Planning
The Planning Act and the Land Reform Act in Scotland – Fellow Travellers or Strange Bedfellows – Bob Reid, Halliday Fraser Munro
Getting The Best From Our Land – Scotland’s First Land Use Strategy – Sally Thomas, Scottish Government
Rural Community Regeneration – Is the Will Really There? (a case study in Rural Aberdeenshire) – Tom Hardie, University of Aberden and David Fyffe, Scottish Land and Estates
Future Connections
Sustainable Rural Development in the Cairngorms National Park – A Case Study in a Contested landscape – Murray Ferguson (Sustainable Rural Development Director)
Progressive Property in Action: Part 1 Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 – An American Perspective – John Lovett Loyola University, New Orleans
Kinveachy Estate, Strathspey – Estate Management in a Special Area of Conservation – Part1 – Part 2a – Part 2b – Part 3 – Odell Milne, Brodies
Land and Sea: A future Connected for Scotland – Anne-Michelle Slater, University of Aberdeen