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Last week, we attended “The Elephant in Bin!,” a knowledge-sharing event focused on reducing food waste and increasing business profits in the Cairngorms. The event was co-hosted by Cairngorms Business Partnership, Zero Waste Scotland, Highland Good Food Partnership, and Cairngorms National Park Authority at the Macdonald Aviemore Resort, featuring Chef Gary Maclean. The event highlighted the need to reduce food waste within the Highland region to reduce our environmental impact and achieve net zero carbon emissions. Reducing food waste is also important to the work that we focus on at Highland Adapts: building resilience to current and future climate impacts. How can minimising food waste increase climate resilience in the Highlands? Keep reading to find out…

Background

Climate change and nature loss threaten food production and distribution in the Highlands and, as a result, the region’s overall food security. Food security is defined as when “all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and preferences for an active and healthy life” (World Food Summit, 1996). Simply put, climate change threatens food security by changing both agriculture and trade conditions (FAO, 2015). This is true in Highland and across the globe. For example, changes to agriculture conditions include:

• Change in rainfall and water availability
• Increased frequencies of droughts, storms, floods, wildfires, sea level rise
• Disruption of pollinator ecosystem services
• Temperature, precipitation, and other effects on transportation and processing
• Decreased livestock and crop resilience to diseases

… to name just a few (FAO, 2021).

Combatting food insecurity requires two different kinds of action: mitigation and adaptation. In this context, mitigation refers to the actions we need to take to limit climate change and support the natural environment. Greatly expanded efforts to respond to climate change are needed immediately to safeguard the capacity of food systems in the future. You can learn more about our food system’s environmental impacts and sustainable food practices here.

However, the climate has already changed and we are “locked in” to additional changes in the future, no matter how quickly we reduce our emissions and other environmental impacts (IPCC, 2022). That is why we need to adapt our food system to build greater resilience. Among other things, the resilience of Highland’s food system hinges on efficient resource management and sustainable practices.

Food Waste & Resilience

A resilient food system can provide sufficient, appropriate, and accessible food to everyone, in the face of various disturbances (Tendall et al., 2015). Food waste undermines long-term resilience by reducing the quantity of available nutrition and squandering economic resources needed to withstand shocks and external pressures from climate impacts (Bajzeli et al., 2020).

“Food loss and waste undermine the sustainability of our food systems. When food is lost or wasted, all the resources that were used to produce this food – including water, land, energy, labour and capital – go to waste. In addition, the disposal of food loss and waste in landfills, leads to greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to climate change. Food loss and waste can also negatively impact food security and food availability, and contribute to increasing the cost of food.” (UN, 2023).

Market shocks and extreme weather impacts can disrupt food availability, particularly in remote regions. Reducing food waste contributes to the conservation of natural resources, such as water and land, which are essential for agricultural productivity. By minimizing food waste, communities can stretch their resources further, mitigating the effects of these disruptions and ensuring a more stable food supply.

How are we doing?

Globally, nationally, and regionally, there is a lot more that we need do to limit food waste and reap the many benefits of a resource-efficient food system.

• 26% of the waste in Highland household refuse bins is food waste that could have been eaten or composted (HCWP, n.d.)
• Almost one million tonnes of food and drink is thrown away every year in Scotland (Scottish Government, 2022)
• Food waste costs Scottish households an average of £440 per year (Scottish Government, 2022)
• Food waste is responsible for 6% of global greenhouse gas emissions (Our World in Data, 2020)

Community-driven efforts, supported by businesses and policymakers, are vital for promoting sustainable food practices and reducing waste. From educating consumers to implementing food recovery programs, people in the Highlands are fostering a culture of efficiency within our food system, strengthening our adaptive capacity in the face of climate change. While not a singular solution, reducing food waste plays a crucial role in building a more resilient and sustainable future for Highland communities.

Resources for You

Whether you are a crofter, farmer, chef, or home cook, there are Highland-specific resources available to help you reduce food waste and maximise all of the strengths of Highland’s food system. Now sure where to start?

• Check out the Highland Community Waste Partnership to learn about Highland-based waste initiatives, including work being done to increase food waste recycling
• Check out Zero Waste Scotland’s One Month Challenge, which will help you measure your business’s food waste and develop an action plan to reduce your waste
• Explore what the Highland Good Food Partnership is doing to create a more fair and sustainable food system in Highland
• Visit the Highland Community Composing Resource to learn about how to start or further develop community composting projects in your Highland community
• Visit lovefoodhatewaste.com to discover hacks, tips, and guidance to make the most of your food at home
• Familiarise yourself with Scotland’s draft Circular Economy and Waste Route Map
• Learn about the food waste hierarchy, which outlines how you should prioritise food and drink material waste prevention, recycling, recovery, and disposal
• Keep an eye out for Highland Adapts’ upcoming Highland Climate Risk and Opportunity Assessment, which includes a deep-dive into economic risks to whiskey and salmon industries in Highland with a circular economy lens.
• Take advantage of events like those run by organisations like Cairngorms Business Partnership, Zero Waste Scotland, and the Highland Good Food Partnership which are tailored specifically to your industry, lifestyle, and needs.

Last week, we attended “The Elephant in Bin!,” a knowledge-sharing event focused on reducing food waste and increasing business profits in the Cairngorms. The event was co-hosted by the Cairngorms Business Partnership, Zero Waste Scotland, Highland Good Food Partnership, and Cairngorms National Park Authority at the Macdonald Aviemore Resort, featuring Chef Gary Maclean. The event highlighted the need to reduce food waste within the Highland region to reduce our environmental impact and achieve net zero carbon emissions. Reducing food waste is also important to the work that we focus on at Highland Adapts: building resilience to current and future climate impacts. How can minimising food waste increase climate resilience in the Highlands? Keep reading to find out…

Background

Climate change and nature loss threaten food production and distribution in the Highlands and, as a result, the region’s overall food security. Food security is defined as when “all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and preferences for an active and healthy life” (World Food Summit, 1996). Simply put, climate change threatens food security by changing both agriculture and trade conditions (FAO, 2015). This is true in Highland and across the globe. For example, changes to agriculture conditions include:

• Change in rainfall and water availability
• Increased frequencies of droughts, storms, floods, wildfires, sea level rise
• Disruption of pollinator ecosystem services
• Temperature, precipitation, and other effects on transportation and processing
• Decreased livestock and crop resilience to diseases

… to name just a few (FAO, 2021).

Combatting food insecurity requires two different kinds of action: mitigation and adaptation. In this context, mitigation refers to the actions we need to take to limit climate change and support the natural environment. Greatly expanded efforts to respond to climate change are needed immediately to safeguard the capacity of food systems in the future. You can learn more about our food system’s environmental impacts and sustainable food practices here.

However, the climate has already changed and we are “locked in” to additional changes in the future, no matter how quickly we reduce our emissions and other environmental impacts (IPCC, 2022). That is why we need to adapt our food system to build greater resilience. Among other things, the resilience of Highland’s food system hinges on efficient resource management and sustainable practices.

Food Waste & Resilience

A resilient food system can provide sufficient, appropriate, and accessible food to everyone, in the face of various disturbances (Tendall et al., 2015). Food waste undermines long-term resilience by reducing the quantity of available nutrition and squandering economic resources needed to withstand shocks and external pressures from climate impacts (Bajzeli et al., 2020).

“Food loss and waste undermine the sustainability of our food systems. When food is lost or wasted, all the resources that were used to produce this food – including water, land, energy, labour and capital – go to waste. In addition, the disposal of food loss and waste in landfills, leads to greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to climate change. Food loss and waste can also negatively impact food security and food availability, and contribute to increasing the cost of food.” (UN, 2023).

Market shocks and extreme weather impacts can disrupt food availability, particularly in remote regions. Reducing food waste contributes to the conservation of natural resources, such as water and land, which are essential for agricultural productivity. By minimizing food waste, communities can stretch their resources further, mitigating the effects of these disruptions and ensuring a more stable food supply.

How are we doing?

Globally, nationally, and regionally, there is a lot more that we need do to limit food waste and reap the many benefits of a resource-efficient food system.

• 26% of the waste in Highland household refuse bins is food waste that could have been eaten or composted (HCWP, n.d.)
• Almost one million tonnes of food and drink is thrown away every year in Scotland (Scottish Government, 2022)
• Food waste costs Scottish households an average of £440 per year (Scottish Government, 2022)
• Food waste is responsible for 6% of global greenhouse gas emissions (Our World in Data, 2020)

Community-driven efforts, supported by businesses and policymakers, are vital for promoting sustainable food practices and reducing waste. From educating consumers to implementing food recovery programs, people in the Highlands are fostering a culture of efficiency within our food system, strengthening our adaptive capacity in the face of climate change. While not a singular solution, reducing food waste plays a crucial role in building a more resilient and sustainable future for Highland communities.

Resources for You

Whether you are a crofter, farmer, chef, or home cook, there are Highland-specific resources available to help you reduce food waste and maximise all of the strengths of Highland’s food system. Now sure where to start?

• Check out the Highland Community Waste Partnership to learn about Highland-based waste initiatives, including work being done to increase food waste recycling
• Check out Zero Waste Scotland’s One Month Challenge, which will help you measure your business’s food waste and develop an action plan to reduce your waste
• Explore what the Highland Good Food Partnership is doing to create a more fair and sustainable food system in Highland
• Visit the Highland Community Composing Resource to learn about how to start or further develop community composting projects in your Highland community
• Visit lovefoodhatewaste.com to discover hacks, tips, and guidance to make the most of your food at home
• Familiarise yourself with Scotland’s draft Circular Economy and Waste Route Map
• Learn about the food waste hierarchy, which outlines how you should prioritise food and drink material waste prevention, recycling, recovery, and disposal
• Keep an eye out for Highland Adapts’ upcoming Highland Climate Risk and Opportunity Assessment, which includes a deep-dive into economic risks to whiskey and salmon industries in Highland with a circular economy lens.
• Take advantage of events like those run by organisations like Cairngorms Business Partnership, Zero Waste Scotland, and the Highland Good Food Partnership which are tailored specifically to your industry, lifestyle, and needs.

The global climate is changing, and the rate of change is increasing. Over the last century, global average temperatures have increased, sea levels have risen, and weather patterns have changed. Even with current climate change mitigation measures, we will still see an increase in this trend, with more extreme weather events predicted over the coming years. While efforts to reduce the effects of climate change continue, we will also need to adapt to the new climatic conditions that will occur.

Climate change adaptation is the process of responding to the changing climate to lessen the impacts of climate hazards on people, infrastructure, and the landscape. This could be as simple as putting up an awning for extra shade, or as complicated as installing flood defences to prevent flooding.

When you think about adaptation measures, the first things that come to mind are probably manmade structures like storm drains or air conditioning. However natural ecosystems also have an important role to play in climate change adaptation, with the potential to provide a host of benefits that engineered solutions cannot, including increased biodiversity and carbon sequestration.

Natural ecosystems’ role in climate adaptation in the Scottish Highlands: Machair

Here at Highland Adapts, we spoke to the High Life Highland Countryside Rangers about the important work they are doing to restore machair habitats on the west coast of Scotland.

Photo: High Life Highland Countryside Rangers coordinate volunteer efforts to restore machair and flood defences

Machair is a Gaelic word meaning ‘fertile plain’, it refers to unique coastal landscapes that are found only along the west coast of Scotland and Ireland. Species-rich machair wildflower meadows develop where low-lying Atlantic coast, Atlantic weather, and sustainable crofting culture coincide. Over millennia traditional, low-impact crofting practices along the coast have assisted the formation of richly patterned habitats where an abundance of wildflowers attracts rare insects and birds. Most machair systems are fronted by sand dunes. The dunes play an important role in protecting the fragile machair meadows, and areas further inland from coastal flooding, gales and from sea level rise.

Photo: Machair at Gallanach on the Isle of Coll (Argyll and Bute). Photo credit: NatureScot

The Ranger Service has been supporting the health of machair habitats at Clachtoll and Achmelvich beaches for over twenty years, coordinating with local communities and volunteers to safeguard these precious areas. They are important habitats for many species of wildlife, including great yellow bumblebees, waxcap mushrooms and orchids. To help preserve the machair, marram grass has been planted on dunes at the back of the beach. The Ranger Service works with volunteers to plant the marram grass, and with local crofters to graze the site at the right time of year. The grass has established well over the years, where it grows it stabilises the dunes and prevents sand from blowing off the beach and into the road and people’s houses. Marram has also been planted further inland to halt erosion of the machair.

Andy Summers, Senior Countryside Ranger for North Highlands told us that:

‘Work continues transplanting Machir grass to Clachtoll seafront. Scarce species live in machair, which benefits from managing the area to promote high biodiversity. The variety of plants encourage a variety of invertebrates, which encourage birds to the machair to feed and breed. The machair also helps to stabilise the sand-dunes. Sand dunes play a huge role in coastal protection. Dunes shelter inland habitats from coastal flooding and from the worst of the winds during storms.’

Shifting landscapes like these play a huge role in attenuating the full force of coastal weather. By working together to save this unique environment local crofters, volunteers, and the Highland Rangers have ensured the longevity of the beach, and protected habitats and populations further inland from coastal flooding and gales – which are happening with increasing regularity.

Machair meadows are also richly biodiverse areas, saving them not only provides climate adaptation benefits but also preserves an important habitat for wildflowers, birds, insects and for people to enjoy. And finally, the role of traditional crofting in ensuring the health of the machair is a reminder that it is possible for human and natural interests to align in a way that benefits all.

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About the Author: Alice Tirbooman recently joined Changeworks as a graduate trainee and is also involved with Highlands Adapts. She blends a unique academic background with practical climate action. Alice is passionate about simplifying complex ideas, especially in the realm of climate adaptation in the Highland region. She’s excited to merge her distinct academic interests in Physics and English to make a real-world impact.

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This article is shared in partnership with the High Life Highland Countryside Ranger Services' Nature Unveiled Blog. The High Life Highland Countryside Rangers is one of the services the Highland Council is considering stopping in order to close the budget gap. Fill out the council’s efficiency survey to have your say about what services should be prioritised in the future: https://engagehighland.co.uk/budget-engagement/surveys/being-more-efficienthttps://lnkd.in/ddxuvYxj

How do I enter? After filling out the Highland Weather and Climate Story Map or Extended Survey, you will be asked to select your communication preferences on a page titled "Keep in the loop." Check the box next to "Prize Draw" if you would like your submissions to be included. You will only be asked to submit your communication preferences once but up to five different story or survey submissions per contributor will be considered as entries.

What's the deadline? The prize draw closes on September 30, 2023.

What's the prize? Two lucky winners will be randomly selected. Each winner will have the option to choose a £75 gift certificate to either the Darach Social Croft or The Highland Weigh.

The Highland Weigh is a social enterprise formed in January 2022 to give Highlanders the opportunity to reduce the amount of plastic they use, reduce food waste and shop locally. The Highland Weigh has chosen 30 core products to sell at a reduced price so it doesn’t have to be a choice between affordability and plastic-free. If a prize draw winner chooses a gift certificate to the Highland Weigh, they can order from the shop's online shop, or visit the store and cafe at 3B High Street Nairn IV12 4AG.

Darach Social Croft is located just above Strontian on the shores of Loch Sunart in Lochaber. The croft is dedicated to providing a place where people can come and experience the outdoors, spend time with the animals, learn new skills and find out more about crofting. If a prize draw winner chooses a gift certificate to the Darach Social Croft, they can order from the croft's online shop, or visit the croft and redeem their gift certificate for one guided forest bathing walk. For your forest bathing walk, you will be invited to bring along up to four other people and as many dogs as you wish to bring (within reason!). These guided walks are usually held in the Ardery Woods, the Ariundle Woodlands, Phemie’s Trail in Strontian or the Strontian Community Woodland.

Terms and Conditions

1. Entries received after the stated closing date will not be accepted.

2. By submitting an entry, you are agreeing to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. If you have any questions, please contact hello@highlandadapts.scot

3. Highland Adapts reserves the right to refuse entry or refuse to award the prize to anyone in breach of these terms and conditions.

Eligibility

1. Unless otherwise stated, our prize draws and competitions are open to all except employees of Highland Adapts, their families, agents or any third party directly associated with the administration of the prize draw.

2. Entrants under 18 must get consent from their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) before entering. The parent(s) or legal guardian(s) of entrants under 18 agree to these Terms and Conditions on behalf of the entrant.

3. The prize draw is limited to residents of the United Kingdom. Winners may redeem their prize by post to an address in the United Kingdom or in person at Darach Social Croft or the Highland Weigh.

4. Up to five story or survey submissions per person will be entered.

5. In entering, you confirm that you are eligible to do so and eligible to claim any prize you may win. Highland Adapts may require you to provide proof that you are eligible to enter the prize draw or competition.

6. Highland Adapts reserves all rights to disqualify you if your conduct is contrary to the spirit or intention of the prize draw, competition, or the Highland Weather & Climate Story Map and Extended Survey. Highland Adapts reserves all rights to disqualify entries if they are deemed false.

The Draw

1. A winner will be chosen by a random draw performed by a computer process within one month of the prize draw or competition ending.

2. The winner will be notified by email (using details provided at entry) within 7 days of being chosen. If a winner does not respond to Highland Adapts within 14 days of being notified, then the winner’s prize will be forfeited and Highland Adapts will be entitled to select another winner in accordance with the process described above.

3. The prize is non-exchangeable, non-transferable and no cash alternative is offered.

4. The decision of Highland Adapts regarding any aspect of the prize draw or competition is final and binding and no correspondence will be entered into about it.

Data protection

1. Highland Adapts is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy and will only use your personal information in accordance with these Terms and Conditions and Highland Adapts' Privacy Policy which is available on our website.

2. By entering, you agree that any personal information provided by you with your entry may be held and used by Highland Adapts or its agents and suppliers to administer the competition.

Have you heard about the Highland Wildflower Meadow Mosaic? Led by the High Life Highland Rangers, the project has already created over 50 new small meadow sites across Highland. Wildflower meadows are a great example of nature-based climate change adaptation. NatureScot defines nature-based solutions as those which "use nature to help tackle environmental and social challenges, providing benefits to people and nature, and help us to mitigate and adapt to climate change." Here are three ways that wildflower meadows can contribute to climate resilience in Highland:

1. Biodiversity Conservation: Wildflower meadows support a diverse range of plant species, which in turn provide habitats and food sources for various animals, including pollinators like bees and butterflies. By promoting biodiversity, these meadows help maintain resilient ecosystems, which are better able to adapt to changing climatic conditions. (read more: Forest Research)

2. Flood Management: The dense root systems of wildflowers help increase soil infiltration and water retention capacity, reducing the risk of flooding and soil erosion. This is particularly important as climate change can lead to more intense rainfall events and increased runoff. (read more: WWF)

3. Soil Health and Resilience: Wildflower meadows promote soil health by enhancing organic matter content, nutrient cycling, and soil structure. As mentioned above, healthy soils are better able to withstand climate-related challenges such as droughts or heavy rainfall. Improved soil health also increases the availability of water and nutrients for plant growth, contributing to the overall resilience of the ecosystem. (read more: UKGov)

Senior HLH Countryside Ranger Andy Summers has already seen these qualities demonstrated by the Highland Wildflower Meadow Mosaic. According to Andy, “After this 2023 spring drought, we’ve really noticed the water retention properties of wildflower meadows. The mown short grass is yellow and parched but there is still green in the longer grass.”

Have you ever used any nature-based solutions to address weather and climate impacts in your personal or professional life? If yes, we'd love to hear more. Share your stories here.

Eager to get involved in the Meadow Mosaic? Click here to learn more about the Highland Wildflower Meadow Mosaic project. Click here for a list of upcoming meadow events. Click here to view a map of the meadows across Highland. Interested in learning more about creating a wildflower meadow on your own property? Check out this guide from Plantlife.

Ladybird on Yellow Rattle Seed, image credit: High Life Highland Countryside Rangers

You can contribute your wildfire experiences to the Highland Weather and Climate Story Map by following this link.

Photo credit: Fort Augustus Fire Station

SEPA has issued the first alert level warning of the year and it covers parts of the Highlands. According to SEPA's report, "The Loch Maree area has been increased to Alert level due to very low river flows in the area. Continued drier ground conditions and low river flows in the Western Isles and northern Scotland have resulted in areas of Early Warning with this becoming more widespread in the last couple of weeks. Central and southern Scotland have also seen an increase in dry ground conditions over the last fortnight with lower river flows and so these areas have been raised to Early Warning."

The dry conditions also prompted the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to issue a warning of a very high wildfire risk in large parts of Scotland until today. Click here for the latest updates and advice from the fire service.

How does dry weather impact you? Add a story to the Highland Weather & Climate Map today. Your stories will help us better understand our future risks and opportunities as rain patterns change in the future.

Not sure what to post? Here are some ideas...

The Herald's article NC500 to Cairngorms: Highland tourist spots altered by climate change looks at 11 of your contributions related to some of Highland's iconic landscapes. In Floods, drought, ferry disruptions: Highland climate change mapped, senior features writer Vicky Allen speaks to former principal project manager Emma Whitham about the story map within the context of other Highland climate change resilience works in progress. The Inverness Courier's article, Your Highland weather stories wanted for new map that will be vital for region's climate change preparations focuses on why your contributions are important additions to the other evidence we have of climate change impacts in Highland.

You can add additional stories to the map at any time or fill out the extended survey if you want to provide further details. Questions? Check out our new FAQ page here. We will keep you updated on where your stories are shared and, later this year, how they are incorporated into the first Highland Climate Change Risk Assessment. As always, thank you for your time and for your contributions which will help us build a more resilient future.

Add your story here: https://lnkd.in/ewEMxffb

The warming stripes for Highland are based on Met office data from Inverness. Learn more about warming stripes here: https://carboncopy.eco/local-climate-action/highland

Click here to add yours.

We recently learned that our hello@highlandadapts.scot email was not working properly during the past month. We apologise if we missed a message from you. Please kindly resend your email. If you know someone waiting to hear from us, please send them this message.

Thank you!

Could you use some help thinking of ways that weather and climate change have impacted you in Highland? Don’t worry, we’re here to help! Remember, every story is important, and every contribution helps us work toward a more resilient region. So don’t be afraid to share your experiences, no matter what they are. Once you have a story or experience in mind, click here to add it to the Highland Weather and Climate Map. You can also find these prompts on our website.

Without further ado, here are 50 ideas to prompt your stories…

Weather and Climate Impacts Across Highland

1. Water supply and quality

2. Landslides

3. Strong winds

4. Fire risk

5. Snow and ice accumulation

6. Coastal erosion

7. Soil erosion

8. Air quality

9. Dampness

10. Flooding

Impacts on your Highland Home

11. Home value

12. Insurance costs

13. Pest infestations

14. Reduced access

15. Construction and repair delays

16. Ventilation in summer

17. Garden productivity and species choice

18. Landscape change

19. Outdoor access

20. Community support

Impacts on your Highland Business

21. Supply chain disruption

22. Business continuity

23. Productivity

24. Seasonal demand

25. Tourism levels

26. Product damage or spoilage

27. Access

28. Property value

29. Livestock health

30. Resource availability

Impacts on your Highland Lifestyle

31. Food availability

32. Transportation disruption

33. Shorter winter seasons

34. Increased tick-borne illness

35. Changes to cultural heritage sites

36. Wildlife population changes

37. Anxiety and stress

38. Biodiversity loss

39. Cost of living

40. Event cancellations

Impacts on Infrastructure

41. Design choices

42. Weather-proofing

43. Heat stress

44. Pipes bursting

45. Insurance costs

46. Heat and energy costs

47. Ventilation in summer

48. Roof damage

49. Renewable energy access

50. Power outages

Thank you to everyone who has already started posting on the climate and weather story map and completing the extended survey. We hope you have found them both intuitive and engaging. As we ramp up our campaign to encourage contributions, we'd like to encourage you to reach out if you have any comments or feedback so far. You can reach us via email at hello@highlandadapts.scot. Specifically, we'd love to hear if there's anything we can do to make it easier for you to use and share both resources.

Thank you!

Team Highland Adapts

You can find a summary of the campaign's resources on a designated blog post on the Highland Adapts website by clicking here.

Click here to watch the video on Youtube.