Pioneering community food forest takes root with planting of first phase

THE first phase of one of Scotland’s first community food forests has been planted in an initiative led by Earthself Community Interest Company with support from a UHI Inverness researcher.

Situated on 1.3 hectares along the shore of Loch Rannoch in Perthshire, Emiel’s Food Forest honours the memory of Aemilius Justin Matthias van Well, known affectionately as Emiel. Emiel is the son of the landowner of Talladh-a-Bheithe Estates, who provided the land for this project, reflecting Emiel’s passion for sustainability and his deep connection to nature.

A group of 40 people including Emiel's family, a team of tree planting experts and sixteen students from Stirling, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Glasgow Caledonian universities and Glasgow School of Art  joined together for a weekend of tree planting and storytelling.

Their skills and energy helped to establish Emiel’s Food Forest as a living model of how food forests – the cultivation of forest ecosystems for human food production – can benefit biodiversity, climate resilience and community wellbeing.

The first phase saw 125 Scottish Heritage fruit and nut trees planted, along with edible hedgerows along two perimeter fences with an initial understory of Blaeberry. Future phases will include pathways, long-term monitoring, cultivation of future stock and the creation of a learning space for community and student engagement. Plans for the second phase include a student Food Forest Ambassador programme and further community involvement, as well as developing criteria and indicators for monitoring.

Dr Euan Bowditch, a researcher in forestry and social ecology at UHI Inverness, said: “The planting of Emiel’s Food Forest marks a critical step in demonstrating the benefits of these systems for biodiversity and communities. By reviving food forest practices in Scotland, we aim to reintroduce a resilient integrated land use model that fosters connections between people, land, and heritage.”

Tabitha Jayne of Earthself, Dr Euan Bowditch of UHI Inverness and landowner Adrian van Well

Emiel’s Food Forest is a partnership between the Institute for Biodiversity and Freshwater Conservation at UHI Inverness and Earthself, enabled by the Scottish Interface Innovation Voucher Scheme.

This initiative supports food forests as a potential route for nature-based solutions to align with Scotland's Biodiversity Strategy for 2045 and global Nature Positive goals. This was a key area of discussion and development during the recent COP16 convention for global biodiversity.

Emiel’s Food Forest is poised to inspire a movement of food forests across Scotland, with plans for expansion in the coming years and connecting with similar initiatives across the landscape to create a Knowledge Exchange Hub.

Through this initiative, Earthself and UHI Inverness aim to create a sustainable legacy, strengthening Scotland’s commitment to biodiversity and environmental stewardship.

Tabitha Jayne, Founding Director of Earthself, said: “Emiel’s Food Forest exemplifies our commitment to nurturing Earth-connected businesses and communities. It stands as a living testament to our mission to foster nature-positive approaches by leading through action.”

Several businesses contributed to the first phase of the project, aligning with their own commitments to a nature-positive future. These businesses include Taiga Upland, RTS Forestry, Highland Game, Loch Rannoch Hotel and Estate, Frinova Woodlands, Own Your Step, Falling Leaf Clothing, Think Partnership, BMP Europe, and Notch.

James Napier, founder of Notch and Emiel’s Food Forest Champion, said: “Purposeful impact is at the core of all that Notch does. Supporting Emiel’s Food Forest, which blends habitat restoration with sustainable food production, aligns with our belief in addressing both the climate and nature crises. We’re proud to contribute to biodiversity gain and habitat creation with long-term impact.”