Scotland – sustainable food nation?

Nourish

Scotland’s Sustainable Food Network

What’s the problem?

• Health – our diet is part of why we die young in Scotland

• Climate change: food accounts for 25-30% of greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change threatens global food security (ASDA)

• Inequality – household food insecurity, food banks

• Ecosystem – we’re eating species, degrading soil, clearing forests and using fossil water

We want to see a Scotland where…

• We eat more of what we produce and produce more of what we eat

• You can find healthy, local, seasonal, organic food anywhere in Scotland

• Being interested in good food isn’t seen as posh• Everyone can afford to feed themselves and

their family well• There is a diversity of thriving small food

businesses

How do we get there?

• Change what we eat• Change how we farm• Change local food economies• Change policy

change what we eat

We should eat more veg, a lot more: like Germany• And less sugar• And less and better meat, with less soya in it• And less highly processed stuff, and watch out for palm oil and

unsustainable fish• But we don’t have to cook everything ourselves• National and local government can lead through example and

procurement• More people, communities and cities can grow some of their

own food• Making all this socially acceptable is tough; preaching doesn’t

work: ISM framework helps.

Change how we farm

 

• Zero carbon, natural capital enhancing, agroecological, resource use efficient

• More small, mixed farms located in or connected to urban areas• Home grown protein, grass fed beef, dual purpose dairies,

agroforestry• Respected profession, more women, CPD, support for new

entrants• Subsidies for public good, not just ‘help to own’

change local food economies

• Mixed economy of food – co-operatives and social enterprises in production, processing distribution, retailing, catering (cf housing)

• Investment in short, resilient, low carbon supply chains as much as exports

• Ensure local food ubiquitous in shops, schools, hospitals, cafes, events

• Add value through local processing• Horizontal integration of public procurement to provide

anchor

change policy

• At EU level: towards a common sustainable food policy, with public subsidies for public good

• At member state level: integration of policies on health, equality, climate change, biodiversity, community empowerment, procurement, education, social enterprise, planning, local economy, R&D, use of subsidies etc to create sustainable food nation

• At local authority/city level: engage communities and local public bodies in strategic approach with identified local leadership

Current work

• New farmer programme – training future farmers• Sustainable food cities work in Edinburgh and

Glasgow• Advocating for policy change; more sustainable food

procurement; a greener agricultural policy with a greater rural development focus and a planning policy that “does” food.

• Surveying the local food economy

Third sector challenges

• Community-scale action - community food co-operatives, linked to community retail and community catering- Community growing, right to grow, urban

farms- Community finance, food credit unions

alternatives to food banks, community shares

Care sector

• More people receiving care and support at home or in residential settings than children at school

• Lack of food/nutrition culture• Cultural change/skills agenda• ‘Good food’ commitment needed

Environment sector

• Need to join up climate change and biodiversity issues with food system

• Largest source of ghg emissions and biodiversity loss

• Opportunity for stronger food and environment coalition to make best use of RDP and press for change