Choosing the Right Ingredients: The Future for Food in Scotland: Discussion Paper

What do we all need to do?

We know this is ambitious. We'll only realise it if we really work together, Government and industry, by forging links between the different parts of the food supply chain and making sure that everyone's included. These are some of the ways we might do it:

European Commission

• Keeping the playing field level
• Striking the right balance between free trade, biosecurity, food safety and consumer choice

Scottish Government and associated agencies*

• Continuing to work with producers to make sure they manage resources sensibly
• Supporting projects that support our vision of the future of food and drink in Scotland
• Supporting research
• Giving advice
• Continuing to talk to everyone about the future of food and drink in Scotland
• Helping vulnerable people and those on lowest incomes, especially pregnant women, babies and young children, and older people, to access affordable healthy food
• Making it easier for Scottish food and drink businesses to become suppliers to public sector organisations
• Advising people about the importance of safe food and good nutrition
• Supporting businesses in leading change to reformulated healthier products
• Encouraging and supporting people to make healthier food choices
• Encouraging restaurants and hotels to keep improving the quality of the food they serve
• Promoting food tourism and encouraging food promotions across Scotland
• Setting a good example in relation to our key objectives
• Maximising opportunities to promote the role of food in our health and on our environment when planning for major events, e.g. Glasgow 2014

*eg Food Standards Agency, NHS Health Scotland, VisitScotland

Local Government

• Encouraging Scottish suppliers to tender for public contracts
• Sharing best practice with other public bodies
• Championing a greener, healthier approach to food
• Ensuring that all schoolchildren of all ages are taught about food, e.g. initiatives such as Eco-Schools
• Taking responsibility for good nutrition in schools and other institutions
• Promoting local food networks and farmers' markets to encourage food tourism
• Increasing the collection of food waste from households for composting

Other agencies*

• Giving grants, advice and support
• Advising businesses how to minimise packaging and waste, and reduce unnecessary use of raw materials
• Promoting local food networks and farmers' markets to encourage food tourism
• Supporting research

*eg Enterprise Networks, Waste and Resources Action Programme Scotland, Envirowise

Producers

• Promoting Scottish meat, fish and other basic foods as part of a healthy diet
• Encouraging more people to buy local produce
• Researching and developing new products that fit with our vision for the future of food and drink in Scotland

Processors and manufacturers

• Making sure people know as much as possible about what they're buying
• Making best use of the available science to develop healthier products
• Avoiding unnecessary food and packaging waste

Industry bodies*

• Training and educating people throughout the food and drink industry
• Educating people in the catering trade about nutrition
• Supporting research into new products that fit with our vision for the future of food and drink in Scotland
• Promoting the available science to help develop healthier products and new processes
• Making best use of the knowledge we have and exploring new possibilities

*eg Scotland Food & Drink

NHS boards

• Using their buying power to provide fresh, nutritious food that's good value for money
• Setting high standards of nutrition throughout the NHS
• Encouraging Scottish suppliers to tender for NHS contracts

Voluntary sector/Community groups

• Sharing expertise and looking for wider connections
• Supporting communities through distribution solutions and food co-ops
• Distributing surplus food to disadvantaged people
• Encouraging people to buy healthier, greener food

Retailers, hotels, restaurants and pubs

• Giving people good information about the food they're buying or eating
• Offering a wider range of affordable, healthy, quality foods
• Avoiding unnecessary food and packaging waste

Academia

• Continuing to research food-related science
• Talking to industry so that scientific developments can be translated into new products and processes
• Researching links with nutrition and health