---
title: Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture Research Strategy 2027-2032 – consultation
description: Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture Research Strategy 2027-2032 – consultation
---

<https://bali-policy.org.uk/news>

# [Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture Research Strategy 2027-2032 – consultation](https://bali-policy.org.uk/news/environment-natural-resources-and-agriculture-research-strategy-2027-2032-consultation)

 Written by [Ian Ludgate](https://bali-policy.org.uk/news/author/ian-ludgate) | Oct 28, 2025 12:47:47 PM

Formed in 1972, the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) represents the interests of   
approximately 1800 member businesses and over 950 accredited members. Members include   
landscape contractors, suppliers, garden designers, arboriculturists, training providers, students, and   
other related professionals.

Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture Research Strategy 2027-2032 – consultation

Summary

BALI welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture   
Research Strategy 2027-2032. We have responded to questions 5, 7, and 11 of the consultation in   
detail below but also briefly summarise our thoughts here.

Landscaping is integral to natural and built environments, closely tied to natural resources, and   
dependant on environmental horticulture so highly relevant to the Strategy. Indeed, well designed,   
built, and maintained landscapes could help deliver each of the five Missions, particularly:

- Delivering climate-positive and resilient landscapes  
- Delivering sustainable and regenerative agriculture and food systems  
- Restoring nature and protecting our environment

However, we believe there are opportunities for the Strategy to better address some of the key   
knowledge gaps in landscaping. For instance, the inclusion of research aimed at widening uptake of   
peat-free growing media, boosting the environmental horticulture sector, and increasing biodiversity   
in gardens could all play a significant role in achieving the Missions above

We are also keen to underline the importance of co-production in research and the appetite of BALI   
and its members to get involved, particularly using the Living Labs approach.

Responses

*Question 5: Do you think the proposed Impact Framework is an appropriate way of defining, *  
*monitoring, and evaluating the impact of research funded through this programme?*

We broadly support the proposed Impact Framework and would like to underline the importance of   
policy engagement and co-production. As the Framework says, evidence suggests that involving   
stakeholders in research can lead to greater impacts – we would point to the likely benefit of early   
and ongoing involvement too. And, given the potential role of landscaping in delivering several of the   
Strategy’s Missions, we would urge researchers to reach out to BALI and its members for input,   
where appropriate. We can bring practical and theoretical to relevant projects, gained from many   
decades of landscaping experience, and help put research findings into practice.

*Question 7: Do you agree that the key ARI questions are captured within the strategy?*

We believe landscaping can play a major role in delivering many of the Strategy’s Missions and   
Challenges but feel this is not fully recognised by the proposed ARI. Indeed, we believe BALI and its   
members could be pivotal in delivering climate-positive and resilient landscapes, delivering   
sustainable and regenerative agriculture and food systems, and restoring nature and protecting our   
environment, as well as a lesser role in the other two Missions. Yet, these links and the associated   
research needs are not always recognised in the ARI, for instance:

Delivering climate-positive and resilient landscapes: landscaping can help meet all of the   
Challenges listed under this Mission, including protecting and restoring soils & peatland   
through adopting peat-free growing mediums more quickly. Further research could help   
accelerate the move away from peat by finding more effective alternative products and ways   
of encouraging wider adoption.

Delivering sustainable and regenerative agriculture and food systems: landscaping is the   
largest part of the wider environmental horticulture industry, producing the plants which   
deliver multiple benefits in our private and public green spaces. As demonstrated by the   
Horticulture Trades Association, environmental horticulture has great potential to deliver for   
Scotland, and research could help support the further roll out of this highly sustainable   
industry.

Restoring nature and protecting our environment: again, landscaping can help meet all of   
the Challenges listed under this Mission, and we believe there is an excellent opportunity to   
do so in Scotland’s gardens. A recent study in Germany found there was potential to   
significantly increase biodiversity in most gardens and conducting a similar study in Scotland   
could help unlock policy delivery in this space.qwe

*Question 11: Is the Living Labs approach for co-production appropriate, and how could it be *  
*enhanced or adapted?*

The Living Labs approach to co-production is appropriate for this Strategy and we believe it is also   
well-suited to researching landscaping solutions. As set out in response to question 5, BALI places a   
lot of weight on policy engagement and co-production, which is embodied by the Living Labs   
approach. In response to question 5, we also set out the potential role of landscaping in delivering   
the Strategy’s Missions, as well as the ability of BALI and its members to co-produce research.   
However, we note that the case study and examples of Living Labs in the Strategy all seem to be   
focused on agriculture and, therefore, may not demonstrate the potential scope of the approach. We   
suggest that at least one landscaping-focused Living Lab is established under the Strategy, as part of   
a wider effort to better account for the role of the industry and wider environmental horticulture   
sector to contribute towards the Missions.

[View full post](https://bali-policy.org.uk/news/environment-natural-resources-and-agriculture-research-strategy-2027-2032-consultation)

```json
{
  "@context" : "http://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "Ian Ludgate"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2025-10-28T12:48:08.874Z",
  "datePublished" : "2025-10-28T12:47:47Z",
  "headline" : "Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture Research Strategy 2027-2032 – consultation",
  "image" : {
    "@type" : "ImageObject",
    "height" : 1536,
    "url" : "https://146273423.fs1.hubspotusercontent-eu1.net/hubfs/146273423/20251028_1241_Environmental%20Strategy%20Documents_simple_compose_01k8nda58bfv9tm8n2gthb5xya.png",
    "width" : 1024
  },
  "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://bali-policy.org.uk/news/environment-natural-resources-and-agriculture-research-strategy-2027-2032-consultation",
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "height" : 60,
      "url" : "/hs/hsstatic/content_shared_assets/static-1.4092/img/default-amp-logo.png",
      "width" : 60
    },
    "name" : "British Association of Landscape Industries blog"
  }
}
```