National Good Food Nation Plan: consultation analysis

Appendix 3: Question 2: Additional Outcomes, Targets and Indicators

Q2: Suggested New Outcomes

• “Decisions we make in Scotland contribute positively to local and global food systems transformation. Scotland has a global reputation for high-quality food that we want to continue to grow through a sustainable economic balance of supply into domestic and international markets, with the domestic market as the first priority at a fair economic price for producers and consumers.”
• “Scotland is a global leader in the plant-based food system transition, from biosphere management for food production on land and in water, to universal access to well-planned, sustainable plant-based and vegan-friendly diets, to help tackle the ongoing global food security, biodiversity, climate change and public health crises.”
• “A bespoke outcome relating to babies and children that recognises the importance of the food system working for them, and their specific needs.”
• “The aspiration of Government to create the conditions for making organic/sustainable food, produced/provided by organisations underpinned by fair work principles, affordable and accessible.”
• “Food policymaking is coherent, rights-based, long-term and joined up, both within Scottish Government and between national government and local public bodies. Decisions we make in Scotland contribute positively to local and global food systems transformation. The process for developing policy and reporting on progress is inclusive, transparent, based on international as well as local evidence; and trusted by all stakeholders.”

Q2: Suggested alterations to Outcome 1

• “Everyone in Scotland has reliable and dignified access to safe, nutritious, affordable, sustainable and culturally valued food.”
• “Everyone in Scotland eats well with reliable and dignified access to safe, nutritious, affordable, sustainable, and age and culturally appropriate food.”
• “Everyone in Scotland eats well with reliable access to safe, nutritious, affordable, sustainable, and age and culturally appropriate food with reduced dependence on ultra-processed foods.”
• "Everyone in Scotland eats well and has equitable and reliable access to safe, nutritious, affordable, sustainable, and age and culturally appropriate food."
• “Everyone in Scotland has access (to) and choice (regarding) safe, nutritious, affordable, sustainable, and age and culturally appropriate food.”
• “Everyone in Scotland eats well and benefits from reliable and local access to safe, nutritious, affordable, sustainable, and age and culturally appropriate food.”

Q2: Suggested alterations to Outcome 2

• “Scotland’s food system contributes to a flourishing natural environment both in Scotland and in the countries from which we import feed and food. It supports our net zero ambitions, delivers continuous improvement in animal welfare and reverses biodiversity loss.”
• “Scotland’s food system is sustainable, diverse and contributes to a flourishing natural environment.”
• “Scotland’s food system is sustainable and contributes to a flourishing natural environment. It supports our net zero ambitions and plays an important role in maintaining and improving animal welfare and in restoring and regenerating biodiversity with less use of fertiliser, pesticides and antibiotics.”
• “Scotland’s food system is supported to be sustainable and contributes to a flourishing natural environment."
• “Scotland’s food system is sustainable and contributes to a flourishing natural environment. It supports our net zero ambitions and plays an important role in maintaining and improving food standards, animal welfare and in restoring and regenerating biodiversity.”
• “Scotland’s food system is sustainable and contributes to a flourishing natural environment on land and below water.”

Q2: Suggested alterations to Outcome 3

• “Scotland’s food system delivers the optimal standard of nutrition for all our population.”
• “Scotland’s food system encourages a physically and mentally healthy population… leading to better quality of life and health improvements.”
• "Scotland’s food system encourages a physically and mentally healthy population and healthy behaviours, leading to a reduction in diet-related conditions."
• “Scotland’s food system encourages a physically and mentally healthy population, leading to a reduction in diet-related conditions. It supports individuals/households to plan their meals, monitor their nutritional consumption to ensure they are meeting their total daily intake while measuring and tracking their biochemical, blood and gut analysis to ensure optimal health condition.”
• “Scotland’s food environment, and wider food system, enables a physically and mentally healthy population, leading to a reduction in diet-related conditions.”
• “Scotland’s food system supports a physically and mentally healthy population, leading to a reduction in diet-related conditions.”
• “Scotland’s food system enables the population to be physically and mentally healthy and, as a result, diet-related conditions reduce.”
• “Refer to ‘improving and increasing health’ rather than ‘diet-related conditions’.”
• “Scotland’s food system and commercial activity, prioritises a physically and mentally healthy population, and supports a reduction of diet-related health conditions and health inequalities.”
• “Scotland’s food system encourages a physically and mentally healthy population and healthy behaviours, leading to a reduction in diet-related conditions.”
• “Scotland’s food system supports a physically and mentally healthy population, protects against unhealthy and ultra-processed foods, leading to a reduction in diet-related conditions.”
• “Scotland’s food system encourages a healthy population, leading to a reduction in diet-related conditions.”
• “Scotland’s food system meets the gold standard for nutrition leading to a physically and mentally healthy population.”

Q2: Suggested alterations to Outcome 4

• “Our food and drink sector is prosperous, diverse, innovative, and vital to national and local economic and social wellbeing. It is key to making Scotland food secure and food resilient and creates and sustains jobs and businesses underpinned by Fair Work standards and fair dealings in the supply chain. It’s well-placed to respond to the challenge of net zero – including the changing demands from multiple retailers, novel foods and new customer expectations.”
• “Our food and drink sector is prosperous, diverse, innovative, and vital to national and local economic and social wellbeing. It is key to making Scotland food secure and food resilient, and creates and sustains jobs and businesses underpinned by fair work standards with the public sector committing a percentage of food related expense to supporting sustainable, seasonal and local food production/consumption.”
• “Our food and drink sector is prosperous, diverse, innovative, and vital to national and local economic and social wellbeing. It is key to making Scotland food secure and food resilient, and creates and sustains jobs and businesses underpinned by Fair Work standards, and a fair deal for food growers and producers.”
• “add ‘and fair trade’ to the end of the sentence.”
• “Our food and drink sector is prosperous, diverse, innovative, and vital to national and local economic and social wellbeing. It is key to making Scotland food secure and food resilient, and creates and sustains jobs and businesses underpinned by Fair Work standards throughout food supply chains.”
• “Our food and drink sector is prosperous, diverse, innovative, vital to national and local economic and social wellbeing, and promotes healthier food choices. It is key to making Scotland food secure and food resilient and creates and sustains jobs and businesses underpinned by Fair Work standards.”
• “add in ‘Our food system should value primary production, strengthening the position of farmers, crofters and growers in the supply chain’.”

Q2: Suggested alterations to Outcome 5

• “Scotland has thriving and diverse food cultures where people from all walks of life take pride and pleasure in the food they make, serve and eat.”
• “Scotland has a thriving food culture with a population who are interested in and educated about good and sustainable food. It supports the healthcare workers in providing adequate information on recommended total daily intake, allocates funding for food prescriptions while ensuring that food producers are provided with resources to adequately communicating the nutritional composition of their produce which will drive consumer decision.”
• “Scotland has a thriving and educated population which is driven by an abundant and sustainable food system that is fully embedded into and valued by the social, cultural, economic and political landscape of the country.”
• “Scotland has a thriving food culture with a population who are interested in and educated about nutritious and sustainable food.”
• “add ‘Knowledge of certification schemes and food labelling clearly enable the population to understand the provenance (or lack of provenance) of food.’”
• “Scotland has a thriving food culture with a population who are interested in and have equitable access to education about good and sustainable food.”
• “Scotland has a thriving food culture where people from all cultures understand the importance of nutritious, sustainable food and take pride and pleasure in the food they produce, sell, serve and consume.”
• “Scotland has a thriving food culture with a population who have access to and enjoy good and sustainable food.”
• “People are empowered to participate in and shape the way their food is produced, distributed, and consumed, resulting in thriving food cultures across Scotland.”
• “… a population that enjoys food; and can access, prepare and (if they wish) share what they eat.”

Q2: Suggested alterations to Outcome 6

• “Decisions we make in Scotland contribute positively to local and global food systems transformation. We share and learn from best practice internationally.”
• “Scotland has a global reputation for high-quality food that we want to continue to grow. Decisions we make in Scotland contribute positively to local and global food systems transformation. We share and learn from best practice internationally. We will ensure that key food exported such as Salmon are available and affordable for most people in Scotland.”
• “We share and learn from best practice locally, nationally and internationally' to recognise best practice and learning within the local economy.”
• “Scotland is known nationally and internationally for its positive contribution to local and global food system change and actively engages internationally in learning, and exchanging knowledge and best practice.”
• “Scotland has a global reputation for high quality food that we want to continue to grow and produce. Decisions we make in Scotland contribute positively to local and global food systems transformation. We share and learn from best practice internationally.”
• “Change ‘Scotland has a global reputation’ to ‘Scotland is a global leader’.”

Q5: Suggested Targets

• Target around rural economic development.
• Target for measuring incidence of modern slavery in food system.
• Target could be to increase the proportion of imported food products used by public bodies that are verified as Fair Trade.
• “To have one or more appetising, nutritious plant-based and vegan-friendly meal option on every public sector menu by the end of 2025.”
• “Setting target on urban farmlands and their application in food production.”
• “Reduce market percentage of imported products that can be sustainably grown in Scotland/UK (i.e. potatoes).”
• % target for fair trade certified coffee, tea and chocolate.
• % target for Scottish (or UK) produce in the local supermarkets.
• “Ensure the maintenance and use of the genetic diversity of species relevant to food production and promote access to it and its benefits."
• “All health and social care staff are trained in identifying malnutrition by 2023.”
• “Achieve the Scottish Dietary Goals by 2035.”
• “Universal free/healthy school meals by 2026/28 or specific date.”
• Target to increase production and consumption of sustainable high protein crops including beans, peas. pulses and legumes, and horticultural crops overall.
• Specific targets focused on older people e.g. based on pensioner poverty stats.
• Nutrition targets (for Outcomes 1, 3) (small minority of respondents).
• “Reduce (e.g. halve) the difference between SIMD quintiles.” (for Outcome 3)
• “Minimum % organic food in hospitals, schools, government establishments.”
• “Number of families with access to organic food.”
• Target connected to the National Improvement Framework (NIF) for schools.
• “Target that relates to dietary related illness for outcome 1 (e.g. cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes).”
• “Cost of a ‘healthy basket’ or cost of eating in line with Scottish Dietary Goals/EatWell plate/or the proportion of median income that a ‘healthy basket’ costs.”
• “Reducing inequalities in fruit and vegetable consumption.”
• Link targets to Five Domains Model of animal welfare.
• Target based on the recommendations of the Farm Animal Welfare Council in 2012 that every farmed animal should have at least a life worth living (e.g. clean up fish farms/fish welfare, end use of farrowing crates).
• Target to reduce lameness, across cattle, sheep, pigs, and poultry.
• 20% reduction in meat and dairy product consumption by 2030.
• Targets for reducing pesticide and fertiliser use.
• Targets to reduce imports.
• Targets for (numbers of) small or local food producers (3 respondents).
• Targets for release of public land for community growing/allotments.
• “Percentage reduction target to be set for the consumption of ultra-processed food in national dietary guidance.”
• Target based on “minimal” food processing.
• Target for reduction of food bank use.
• Targets around oral and dental health (e.g. reducing incidence of tooth decay by half) (4 respondents).
• Target for reducing the number of people with diabetes and pre-diabetes.
• Mental health targets.
• “85% children have a healthy weight at P1 (currently 76.9%) and at P7, with the gap between the quintiles reduced to 5% (currently 10% at P1).”
• 40% of all food procured using Government funds to be plant-based by 2030.
• 50% of public procurement to be organic and Scottish by 2030.
• Target of 15% for organic food in public procurement, of which 10% is from Scotland, by 2035.
• Target for minimum inclusion of UK produce.
• Align food security target to Scottish Development Goal 2 (to eliminate severe food insecurity by 2030.
• Target of 85% of children have a healthy weight at P1 and at P6, with the gap between the quintiles reduced to 5%.
• Target for reduction in cases of diet-related illness.
• Targets related to food safety (several respondents).
• Food waste targets should include pre farm gate waste and surplus.
• Target aligned to Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 – 50% reduction in waste by 2030 plus reduction in food loss) (3 respondents).
• Specific target for public sector bodies/or large food businesses to reduce food waste going to general waste streams.
• Specific food system emissions target.
• Target to halve nitrogen loss and waste by 2030.
• Ammonia reduction target to improve air quality.
• Targets for other (not necessarily organic) regenerative/agro-ecological farming/other improved farming methods (e.g. numbers of regenerative farm producers).
• Target relating to reducing biodiversity loss (2 respondents).
• Target for demand for/consumption of organic food.
• Target for number of food producers accredited as organic.
• Target to reduce inequalities in breastfeeding.
• Target on exclusive breastfeeding.
• Targets for Fair Work standards.
• Target should be set for retailers to sell at fair prices and for agreements with suppliers/producers to be fair and financially sustainable.
• Target for diversity of employment.
• Target for quantity of food and drink produced and sold in Scotland and not exported (a few respondents).
• Target to increase number of circular/sustainable businesses in the food sector.
• “By end of 2025, local public bodies and Scottish Government have agreed a joint set of metrics for assessing the food system at local and national level and a process for collecting and publishing data.”
• “By end of 2025 the Scottish Human Rights Commission and the Scottish Food Commission have jointly produced guidance on implementing and monitoring the right to food and ensuring the human rights of all those working in our food supply chains are upheld.”
• “By mid 2026 when the plan is coming up for review, there is an established process for engaging young people in food policymaking.”
• “By mid 2026 Scotland has benchmarked its food system against other OECD countries.”
• Target to encourage food research and development (2 respondents).

Q6/Q7/Q8: Suggested Indicators

• Nitrogen balance per hectare.
• Nitrogen use efficiency.
• Nitrogen loss and waste.
• Efficient use of fertilisers as measured by the nitrogen use efficiency indicator (NUE).
• Use of (other) harmful chemical pesticides (e.g. glyphosate, neonicotinoids) (3 respondents).
• Monitoring of vaccine and antibiotic use in livestock, taking into account the size of different livestock populations by use of the “Population Correction Unit (PCU)”.
• Percentage of school meals eaten compared with waste.
• Overall sales of reformulated foods.
• Indicator on food affordability based on a 'basket of goods’.
• Cost of living indicator.
• Affordability indicator.
• Animal cruelty figures.
• Percentage of food meeting higher welfare standards.
• Progress in reforming current agricultural practices such as confinement, mutilations, and improving welfare at slaughter (2 respondents).
• Improvement in number of fisheries achieving MSC or similar certification on sustainability, welfare and quality.
• Phasing out cages for gamebirds and laying hens.
• Phasing out farrowing crates for pigs.
• Percentage of pigs at slaughter with tails docked.
• (Monitoring) castration and tail-docking of lambs.
• Salmon mortality.
• Indicator in line with UK governments proposed “mandatory labelling system with five tiers and underpinning standards that are primarily based on method of production, differentiating between products that fall below, meet and exceed relevant baseline UK animal welfare regulations“.
• Resilience of the agriculture and Food and Drink industries.
• Agricultural output per labour unit.
• Specific indicators for key agricultural commodities and livestock (re. food security, productive capacity).
• Number of children at risk of food insecurity.
• Monitoring of inequalities.
• Malnutrition screening (2 respondents).
• Poverty indicators in relation to other (non-child) age groups, including pensioners (2 respondents).
• Monitoring numbers of food banks.
• Uptake of Cash First resources.
• Indicators showing improvements in the labelling of vegan food.
• Reduction in meat and dairy production (e.g. numbers of sheep, cattle, chickens per square hectare).
• Increased availability of vegan options.
• Percentage of land used for horticulture year on year (2 respondents).
• Number of households regularly consuming animal-based food products.
• Number of vegan or vegetarian households.
• Percentage of local supply in retail/hospitality settings.
• Percentage of local supply in what we eat (e.g. vs imports).
• Food miles reduction.
• Numbers and proximity of farmers markets.
• Percentage of retailer stock from local/regional areas.
• Numbers of local processing facilities.
• Inequalities of access to good/quality food.
• Increases in availability of good food.
• Monitoring Best Start eligibility/uptake.
• Monitoring change in eating habits (e.g. average calories consumed/day).
• Monitoring advertising of poor quality food outlets around schools.
• Number of retailers with sales-weighted average converted Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) scores of more than 69.
• Percentage changes in nutrition in food being reformulated.
• Indicator for biodiversity regeneration and restoration.
• Tracking of plastics/packaging pollution.
• Number of people accessing organic food.
• Percentage of household spend on organic food.
• Price differential between organic/non organic food.
• Number of organic food producers (e.g. number of organic box schemes).
• Number of hectares of organic food grown.
• Amount of organic food that goes into the Scottish supply chain.
• Value of government financial support for the organic sector.
• Market share of organic food.
• Chemical make-up of non-organic foods.
• Number of animals raised to organic standards.
• Reduction in availability/consumption of UPF/HFSS foods (4 respondents).
• Indicator(s) on marketing/availability of ultra-processed/HFSS foods (e.g. floor space given over, cost of bad food habits on wider systems (NHS, education, etc.), advertising levels) (a few respondents).
• Ease of access/proximity to fast food outlets (e.g. numbers within 300m of schools).
• Presence of junk food vending machines.
• Percentage of population living in food deserts.
• Use of ‘food environment assessment tool’.
• Tracking of food waste through provisions in the Circular Economy Bill.
• Food waste as a percentage of landfill waste.
• Monitoring of food nutritional standards (e.g. compared with other countries).
• HIS Food Fluid and Nutritional Care Standards (2014) as an indicator (2 respondents).
• Percentages of children/young people and adults achieving their recommended daily intake of specific nutrients (e.g. via household surveys).
• Percentage of public procurement spend on local sources.
• Percentage of public procurement meeting higher welfare standards.
• Percentage of public procurement spend which is plant-based.
• Value of public procurement fair trade verified purchases.
• Impact of public procurement spend.
• Uptake of free school meal provision (4 respondents).
• Number of schools teaching food subjects.
• Percentage uptake of food subjects.
• Number of schools with kitchen gardens.
• Numbers of pupils with the ability to cook/grow/prepare food and plan meals.
• Numbers of young people achieving Senior Phase qualifications in Food Technology.
• Numbers of community growing officers in local authorities.
• Amount of land in community growing hands per local authority.
• Number of people participating in allotments and community gardens.
• “Increase in local authority partners working in partnership on solutions to support statutory obligations on meeting demand for allotments and community growing space.”
• Decrease in community food projects providing food aid.
• Percentage of supermarket spend vs independent retailers.
• Pricing of fresh vs processed food.
• Percentage of plant-based protein in retailed food.
• Percentage sold in supermarkets and food and drink retailers mirroring the Scottish Dietary Goals.
• Number of convenience retailers achieving the Scottish Grocer’s Federation Healthy Living Programme.
• Number of outlets complying with the Healthcare Retail Standard.
• Numbers of small producers qualifying for being registered and supported (e.g. through international development funding) (2 respondents).
• The availability and affordability of land for crofting and small-scale agriculture (2 respondents).
• Percentage of people cooking/eating at home.
• Access to culturally appropriate foods in relation to remote, rural and island communities.
• Indicator relating to on farm carbon sequestration/insetting.
• Supermarkets GHG emissions.
• Emissions from food production.
• Environmental impact reduction achieved through dietary shifts.
• Increase in sustainability of food systems.
• Sustainable and ethical food accreditation for food and food-related businesses.
• Number of outlets signed up to a sustainability commitment.
• Soil quality indicators (regeneration, degradation) (2 respondents).
• Species and/or habitat-related indicator.
• Improvement in numbers of pollinators through use of farmland.
• Increase in population numbers of farmland-dependent red and amber listed species (a few respondents).
• Numbers of regenerative farm producers.
• Provision of water stations.
• Reduction in alcoholism rates (2 respondents).
• Improvement in children’s performance at school (mental-health-related).
• Population blood pressure monitoring.
• Uptake of sport.
• Reduction in rates of type 2 diabetes (3 respondents).
• Increase in rates of remission from type 2 diabetes (2 respondents).
• Rates of food disorders.
• Decline in dietary-related illnesses as reported by the NHS, (e.g. cancers, heart disease) (2 respondents).
• Decline in child and adult obesity over time.
• Indicator to connect up weight/obesity with deprivation.
• Indicators for various weight categories (more disaggregation of data).
• Rates of maternal obesity.
• Rates of obesity amongst nursing staff.
• Indicator of improved education and support for breastfeeding.
• Staff job satisfaction levels.
• Number of employers giving real living wage (2 respondents).
• Increase in number of businesses meeting Fair Work standards (2 respondents).
• Measure for the gap between lowest and highest paid in the food sector.
• “Total Income from Farming (TIFF report) should be a key indicator because it gives an indication of profitability from production.”
• (Increase in) Numbers employed in the food industry.
• Economic contribution of the food industry.
• Impact of food and drink tourism.
• Investment in research and development.
• New business creation.
• Increase in the numbers of overseas trading partners.
• Number and scale of international food research projects that focus on sustainable agriculture.
• Effectiveness of international collaborations in promoting sustainable food systems and partnerships on addressing global food challenges.
• Local indicator measurements (e.g. by local authority, rural vs urban).
• Number of people and organisations engaged in the first review of the national GFN plan.
• Number of people engaged in developing the plans of local public bodies.
• Number of downloads of jointly-produced ‘state of Scotland’s food’ annual report.
• Number and scale of international food research projects.
• Number of food producers supported through international development funding.
• Number of engagements with international colleagues on food system issues including human rights in our food supply chains.