Natural Capital – Galvanising Change through Natural Capital: James Hutton Institute
Posted: Tuesday, 22 July 2025
In this episode, we dive into how Natural Capital is reshaping land use, farming, and business decisions with our guest, Dr Kerry Waylen. She shares her insights and working examples, to explore how land managers, farmers, and policymakers measure nature’s value, access carbon markets, and plan for long-term sustainability. We discuss topics including a just transition, the risks of greenwashing, the need for fair systems, and how supply chains—from food production to whisky—are adapting. Practical, grounded, and future-focused, this episode highlights the real opportunities and challenges in putting nature at the heart of decision-making.
Kerry Waylen is a senior social researcher in the Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences (SEGS) department at the James Hutton Institute, and Deputy Director of the International Land Use Study Centre (ILUSC). She builds understanding of how to achieve more ‘joined up’ approaches to natural resource management and studies when and how different types of knowledge – including ideas of ‘natural capital’ get used in decision-making – and how to put abstract ideas for nature management into practice.
Host Harry Fisher, Producer Iain Boyd, Editor Kieron Sim, Executive Producer Kerry Hammond.
Timestamps:
0:59 – 5:52 Intro to speaker and topic background
5:53 – 18:59 Galvanising change via natural capital project
19:00 – 24:53 Ecosystem services, measuring natural capital, farming practices and easy wins
24:54 – 36:34 Paying for carbon, natural capital markets, opportunities and risks
36:35 – 44:50 Just Transition in land use and future of natural capital
Related FAS resources:
Biodiversity | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service
Stock Talk – The 5-Mile Pig! | FAS
What is the Woodland Carbon Code? | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service
Understanding Natural Capital Markets | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service
Other Related Resources:
Ecosystem services – nature’s benefits | NatureScot
Galvanising Change via Natural Capital – James Hutton Institute
Natural Capital Protocol – Capitals Coalition
Natural Capital Market Framework – gov.scot
Ecosystem Restoration Code: engagement paper – gov.scot
