food & drink by the Bill and deliver its vision for Scotland’s food system. Scotland is the first of the UK devolved nations to create a food law of this nature and the Bill was passed with the unanimous support of the Scottish Parliament. This is a progressive step and a clear response to growing public concerns about food in recent years. Campaigning by citizens, NGOs, food banks, trade unions and farming organisations has not let up. In the last two weeks alone, over 850 letters have been sent by members of the public in support of the Bill and the Food Commission. This new legislation requires Scottish Ministers, local authorities and health boards to produce National and Local Food Plans and report regularly on progress. The plans will need to consider a broad range of foodrelated issues, including social and economic wellbeing, the environment, animal welfare, health outcomes and child poverty. Crucially, the Bill establishes a new independent statutory body – a Food Commission – to support and review the delivery of the plans. This legislation is the first attempt to take a systemsbased approach to food issues, by acknowledging explicitly the many elements involved in getting food from farm to plate as well as their wider impacts on nature and climate, health and wellbeing, and local economic development. Although the Bill itself, and its associated measures, represent real progress, more will be needed to address the many systemic issues impacting our food system – e.g. increasing household food insecurity, health-related food concerns and the lack of food workers’ rights. Not putting the Right to Food into Scots law and the absence of targets as part of the Bill are seen as missed opportunities. It is imperative that targets now be embedded into the food plans and the Scottish Government must hold to its promise to include and incorporate the Right to Food in forthcoming Human Rights legislation. Professor Mary Brennan, SFC Chair said: "After a long and winding journey, we warmly welcome
the passing of the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill. Whilst congratulating all the efforts made to date, the hard work is only really beginning to deliver on the Scottish Government’s vision for a Good Food Nation for all. Going forward, it is essential a strong, agile and dynamic independent Scottish Food Commission emerges and that coherent national and local food plans are developed that support and drive forward better outcomes for all. Going forward, we remain steadfastly committed to delivering on the purpose and vision of the GFN Bill. We look forward to providing support and guidance in the creation and work of the new Food Commission whilst continuing to robustly represent the voices and lived experiences of civil society stakeholders from across our food system.” Vicki Swales, Head of Land Use Policy at RSPB Scotland said: “We face a nature and climate emergency and our food system is a significant contributor to this. We must transition as fast as possible to more environmentally sustainable food production and consumption. National and local food plans, scrutinised by the new Food Commission, must set out clearly how we are going to do this.” Despite the commitments to create a Food Commission, more work is needed to truly change Scotland’s food system. Polly Jones, Head of Scotland at Trussell Trust said: "Food insecurity is rising across Scotland because people do not have enough money from work and social security to buy the essentials. The Good Food Nation Bill was an opportunity to tackle these systemic issues and create the framework for a better food system – and it falls far short.” Polly Jones added: "Together with the Scottish Food Coalition, we will continue campaigning for statutory targets to reduce food insecurity, to enshrine the right to food in Scots Law and for universal free school meals for every child. We can't be a good food nation when thousands of Scots are going hungry”.
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Agricultural shows are back – let’s support them
By Mairi Gougeon Across Scotland this summer, agricultural shows are making a welcome return to the rural calendar. Over the past two years, the pandemic saw many of these events cancelled, reduced or moved online, so I am really looking forward to attending some of these in person. It has been a challenging time for agricultural show organisers and I would like to pay tribute to the hard-working teams, often volunteers, whose year-round efforts ensure these events are a success and enjoyed by locals and visitors from all walks of life. There is something for everyone. These shows highlight the incredible range of high-quality ingredients and nutritious food and drink made in Scotland. They are also a platform for the industry to demonstrate the leading role it is playing in helping us achieve our Net Zero ambitions by producing our food in an increasingly environmentally sustainable way. For equipment manufacturers and service providers, these occasions are also great opportunities to engage with their key customer base and generate sales.
With an increasing interest in how our food is produced, transported and prepared – from farm gate to plate – agricultural shows are a fantastic way for consumers to learn more about farming and engage with industry leaders in person. For many, the flagship agricultural event each year is the Royal Highland Show, which celebrates its bicentenary in 2022 with a packed programme of events and displays. The Royal Highland Show has an international reach and reputation. This year, funding from the Scottish Government of £200,000 will extend that reach by supporting the Royal Highland Agricultural Society of Scotland to use digital technology to stream parts of the show to audiences at home and abroad. I am keen to see how this technology is deployed and explore how it can be used to showcase Scotland on the global stage in other ways. Agricultural shows are a tradition that stretches across generations and are eagerly anticipated, but they can only continue if they are supported and I would encourage people to go along and enjoy one if they can.
