Good Food Nation - programme of measures: 2019 update

Foreword

By Fergus Ewing MSP, Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy, and Gary MacLean, National Chef for Scotland

I am delighted to provide this update setting out the work the Scottish Government has carried out over the last year in order to achieve our goal of becoming a Good Food Nation.

We have worked across all sectors of our society, from continuing our work on restricting the promotion and marketing of targeted food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt where they are sold to the public, to progressing our strategies on alcohol and tobacco, continuing to tackle food waste in Scotland, and continuing to support our food and drink businesses to export to more markets across the world.

Some of the steps we have taken in the last 12 months as we work towards our Good Food Nation goal include another 100 convenience stores joining the Healthy Living Programme; £200,000 invested to support small and medium enterprises to lower the calorie content of their food or drink products; additional funding of £2 million to support breastfeeding; £300,000 invested in our Eco-Schools programme; £2.7 million provided to support the Scotland Food & Drink Export Plan; and help to generate over £100 million food and drink sector sales via our Ambition 2030 work.

I am proud to provide this update to demonstrate the incredible steps we have taken in the last 12 months, and I look forward to achieving much more in the next year as we continue to build upon this good work, supported by our Good Food Nation legislation.

Fergus Ewing
Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy

November 2019

Gary MacLean, National Chef for Scotland

I am extremely proud and humbled to be Scotland's First National Chef. I have been working with the Scottish Government's Good Food Nation Team for two years.

The role comes with a huge job description, but I have decided that I want to focus on food education for all and food poverty.

In my time in the post I have worked with, and spent time with, some incredible people who are making a real difference in people's lives through food.

Food education is very close to my heart, I found my love for food at high school and have spent most of my career in food education in my role at the City of Glasgow College.

I have spent a lot of time in schools working with teachers and pupils from nursery, primary and secondary education. Often I find that food is a fantastic medium for breaking down barriers and bringing people together.

I have also spent a lot of time working with community groups and charities who are using food for a great deal of reasons, including education and nourishment, and again breaking down stereotypes. There are countless volunteers who are changing Scotland one plate at a time.

My feeling is that there is more to food than just sustainment of the body, it's who we are as people; it's an amazing tool to bring people and communities together that has so many benefits for the health and wellbeing of everyone.

The best part of my job as National Chef for Scotland is meeting all the incredible people who are making a real difference every day in Scotland. I am proud to support these people in their hard work and dedication in making Scotland a Good Food Nation.

Gary MacLean
National Chef for Scotland