The Scottish government has launched a taskforce to respond to any potential disruption to food security and supply resulting from the impact of the war in Ukraine.
The Food Security and Supply Taskforce will jointly work with the food and farming industry, the Scottish government announced.
The taskforce will include Scottish farm leaders and will meet frequently over the coming weeks, it added.
Over the last two years, the industry has experienced a series of shocks in terms of disrupted supply chains and new barriers to trade through Covid and Brexit.
The war in Ukraine will have further impacts, the Scottish government warned, not least through massive increases in energy bills.
Ukraine and the surrounding region is also a major player in terms of global food supply and agricultural production, such as wheat, barley and sunflower oil.
The taskforce will be co-chaired by Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs Mairi Gougeon and Chief Executive of Scotland Food & Drink, James Withers.
Ms Gougeon said: “We need to take action now to better understand the potential impact of disruption to the food supply chain, how industry and government might work together to manage those, and be alert to the resulting impact on the cost of food products.
“That is why the Scottish government has convened a taskforce jointly with industry to monitor, identify and respond to these issues."
She added: "Crucially, the taskforce will also consider how we can continue to get products and food supplies to Ukraine we must not forget that there is a population still there that will desperately need our help and support in the weeks ahead.
“I welcome the involvement of food and drink industry leaders across Scotland and look forward to working together to strengthen food security and supply.”
James Withers said it was 'critical' to assess the potential impact of the conflict on national food security and supply.
“Immediate supplies of food and animal feed are secure, even if prices are rising sharply," he said.
"However, whilst much still remains unknown in terms of the impact of the war on global supply chains, there is clearly a shock to the system coming.
"We must understand its implications for Scotland’s farmers, food manufacturers and consumers and consider any short or medium-term action we can take to mitigate their impact.”
