A £3 million international project is set to revolutionise digital technology for livestock farmers across Europe’s vast moorlands, promising smarter, tailored solutions for upland communities.
Covering more than a third of the Earth’s surface, moorland—referred to as rangeland outside the UK and Ireland—supports a variety of extensive grazing systems.
These systems rely on livestock to convert natural vegetation into meat and dairy products for human consumption.
Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) is the UK partner in the £3 million EU-funded DIGI-Rangeland project (Digital innovation and data technology network for rangeland livestock farming systems).
The four-year project is led by the French Livestock Institute and involves partners from Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and Romania.
The project is designed to allow the different partners – and especially the network of land managers that will be created in each country over the four years – to learn from each other and see what approaches might be relevant to moorlands in more than just one country.
Dr Claire Morgan-Davies of SRUC’s Hill & Mountain Research Centre near Loch Lomond explained: “Not only is the majority of rangeland vegetation considered to be of high nature conservation value – because of the vegetation itself and the wildlife it supports – but also the health of that vegetation is intimately linked to, and so depends upon, the continuation of the grazing systems.
“However, these grazing systems face numerous challenges that threaten their economic and social viability.”
Dr Morgan-Davies’s team will establish a network of upland farmers and other land users in the UK.
The Hill & Mountain Research Centre will also serve as an Upland Digital Hub, hosting events for farmers, advisors, students, and other upland stakeholders to showcase practical applications of these new technologies.
“We are excited to be involved in this project, which complements the increasing focus of research at the farms in recent years in highlighting that the use of digital technology will be essential in ensuring the continued viability of upland farming systems,” Dr Morgan-Davies added.
The project will also engage SRUC’s Rural Policy Centre to work alongside wider rural communities in upland regions.
