NFU Scotland is stepping up pressure for a major shake-up of how public bodies buy food, renewing its call for a “Scottish First” approach after co-hosting a procurement roundtable aimed at tackling long-standing barriers to local sourcing.
The event, held on 28 November with the Public Sector Catering Alliance (PSCA), brought together procurement officials, caterers and food producers to examine how Scotland’s public sector can better support home-grown suppliers.
Discussions focused on the need for reliable data on current buying patterns, the financial strain on public catering services and the need for coordinated leadership to drive overdue reforms.
A “Scottish First” model, as set out by NFU Scotland, would see local food given clear priority wherever it can meet public sector requirements. That could include adapting tender criteria to recognise provenance and sustainability, giving local suppliers fairer access to contracts, and ensuring evaluation frameworks balance price with quality, nutrition and carbon footprint.
Scotland’s public sector spends a substantial sum each year feeding schools, hospitals, prisons and care homes, making procurement decisions a significant lever for supporting the rural economy.
But despite a decade of policy shifts influenced by sustainability goals, new legislation and evolving trade rules, NFU Scotland says progress in securing contracts for domestic growers has been limited.
Jayne Jones, chair of the PSCA, said the roundtable offered public caterers and producers the chance to “listen to different perspectives, better understand the current challenges, and identify opportunities for more aligned working.” She described the session as “long overdue” following the last meeting between the public sector and NFU Scotland in 2019.
The union argues that the current system often shuts out small and medium-sized producers because procurement frameworks tend to favour large-scale suppliers capable of meeting national volumes.
Some public bodies, facing tight budgets, say they are pressured to choose lower-cost imports even when local food is readily available — a trend the union believes contradicts the ambitions of the Good Food Nation agenda.
NFU Scotland also criticised the Scottish government’s draft Good Food Nation National Plan for failing to embed local sourcing targets within procurement policy.
It says the plan missed a key opportunity to set binding expectations for public bodies, leaving too much to voluntary action and risking continued reliance on cheaper imports.
NFU Scotland President Andrew Connon said food served in public institutions “should reflect the quality of what we produce here”, pointing out that Scottish farmers and crofters deliver “world-class food to the highest standards”. He said the current system restricts the public sector’s ability to use that produce.
“We want to see a Scottish First approach, where local, fresh and sustainably produced food is prioritised and properly valued,” he said. This would mean rebalancing contract criteria, ensuring cost and quality are weighed appropriately, and giving public bodies budgets that genuinely allow them to choose local options.
Producers say inconsistent demand from the public sector makes investment in infrastructure, processing and long-term supply chains harder to justify. Public caterers, meanwhile, highlighted wider pressures — from rising food prices to labour shortages — that can limit their ability to source locally.
The outcomes from the roundtable will shape NFU Scotland’s upcoming Public Food Procurement Policy Paper, expected later this year.
