Developing a sustainable food supply for Scotland
social factors in developing a sustainable food supply was the
focus of a symposium held in Edinburgh earlier this week.
The symposium, organised by the Scottish Food and Drink Federation (SFDF) in collaboration with the Institute of Food Science and Technology and the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland, was held as the Scottish government begins considering responses to a public consultation on its national food plan. Flora McLean, Director of SFDF noted that the food and drinks industry represents the largest manufacturing sector in Scotland and said: "At a time when we are all increasingly aware of our environmental responsibilities it is important to ensure that both the Government and industry works to strike the right balance between environmental, economic and social factors." "Setting environmental improvements in an economic context should help us to deliver progress without damaging the underlying competitiveness of business", she added. According to the SFDF, the food and drink manufacturing industry in Scotland has a gross output of around £6.5bn and accounts for about £2.5bn of total UK exports and 11.8 per cent of the UK sector workforce. Symposium topics Symposium speakers covered such subjects as the Food Standards Agency's approach to sustainable development in policy making, the use of food waste, and food science and chemistry in the science of global food supply. Duncan Oswald, founding Director of environmental consultancy Ecodyn, described in his presentation (available from FDF) the rise in global food prices and the reasons for this. He commented that the UK is not self-sufficient, there is a widening food trade gap and prices are going up. There is less productive land per person and in the developed world we are using more than our fair share, he said. He highlighted the role industry should play, with reference to the FDF's Five-fold Environmental Ambition, and added that the public, renewable energy sources and other developments across sectors such as transport also have a role to play. Scottish National Food Plan Jim Mather, Scottish Enterprise Minister, confirmed in a statement that Scotland's national food policy that will help support "a sustainable food industry." The government says that its vision for food in Scotland is that it should make the nation "healthier, wealthier and smarter with production making communities strong and consumption respecting the local and global environment." It calls on food manufacturers to take the lead in driving forward customer demand for affordable, healthier food options. The government hopes that sustainable economic growth of the food industry will lead to a wealthier country. It calls for greater co-operation and collaboration from primary production through to final market, ensuring the long term viability of primary producers and increasing export markets. The government says that a greener Scotland will result from reducing the environmental impact of food and drink production, processing, manufacturing and consumption by encouraging responsible behaviour throughout the supply chain through reduced emissions, unnecessary use of raw materials, waste, packaging, energy and water use. It is hoped that "a highly skilled and innovative food industry" will help lead to a smarter Scotland where customers are better informed about where their food comes from, how it was grown and the wider health, environmental, social and economic benefits of the choices they make. The next stage to develop Scotland's first-ever food policy will be announced in June. Part of the problem A report published by the Scottish Food Standards Agency in March urged children to reduce the amount of cakes and biscuits they are eating, warning that they currently have too much sugar in their diets. The Survey of Sugar Intake Among Children in Scotland concluded that Scottish children, aged three to sixteen, are eating too much sugar and that the main sources included cakes and biscuits, as well as soft drinks and confectionery. FSAS Assistant Director Jim Thomson said that on-going activities to reduce the sugar intake amongst children included working with the food industry on reformulation of recipes and introducing front-of-pack nutrition labelling.
