The upcoming Good Food Nation Bill is a “prime opportunity” to ensure that food producers are more empowered within the supply chain to help deliver on new ambitions.
In its ‘Programme for Government’, the SNP government last year announced a renewed commitment to bring forward a Good Food Nation Bill.
The aspiration is that Scotland becomes a country where anyone can benefit from the food they buy, serve, and eat day by day, with an emphasis on local produce from local farmers.
At a fringe event facilitated by Colin Smyth MSP, he said there is a “disconnect” from farm-to-fork.
Mr Smyth said: “Retail sales of Scottish brands have risen by 37% in the last few years and internationally, exports of Scottish food and drink products have surpassed £5billion.
“The Good Food Nation Bill is an opportunity to address some of the bad economics that are at play within the food and drink supply chain.
“It is also an opportunity to recognise that in Scotland we also have a looming public health disaster with obesity and health statistics.”
’Sustainable and healthy’
Mr Smyth said the Bill “must do its utmost” to promote the fact that the majority of Scottish food and drink is “sustainable and healthy”.
“That presents the whole Scottish food chain with the opportunity to build a Good Food Nation which uses every opportunity to advocate the health benefits of fresh, locally sourced food, both in the home and through public procurement in Scotland’s public places,” he said.
Mr Smyth said farmers and crofters “want to play their part”.
“As a country we can also do much better at supporting our Scottish producers at home. That is why NFU Scotland is calling for the Good Food Nation Bill to introduce a mandatory target for central and local government food procurement,” he said.
“Our vision has received the backing of major players in Scotland’s food industry but we also need the buy-in of the public who are ultimately the consumers of our world-class produce.”
