Opportunity to help shape Scotland’s local food strategy.
A SERIES of public engagement events are being held in local communities to help people from all walks of life shape the Scottish Government’s local food strategy.
The consultation is the first stage in a strategy to make high quality food accessible to all, regardless of income, and promote the benefits of locally produced food and drink.
Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon has urged everyone, from private individuals to businesses and organisations, to join a local workshop, either in person or online.
Led by charity Nourish Scotland, the workshops will explore key issues such as why local food is important, how Scotland can grow more of what it eats and eats more of what it grows and make a positive impact on the environment and biodiversity .
Workshops are being held in Aberdeen, Angus, Arran, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee, Edinburgh, Fife, Glasgow, Highland, North Ayrshire, Perth & Kinross, South Lanarkshire and Stirling areas.
Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “Scotland has some of the best food and drink anywhere in the world and we want this amazing produce to be available to everyone.
“I am hugely encouraged by the level of participation so far and there is still time for people, businesses and organisations to get involved and play a role, either in person or online, in shaping this important national strategy.
“With global leaders preparing to gather in Glasgow for COP26, it is also important that we look at how the food and drink sector can help us achieve our net zero ambitions.”
Workshop attendees can also feed in their views on the three pillars of the strategy, namely connecting people with food, connecting producers with buyers and harnessing the buying power of public sector procurement.
The workshops will feed directly into the consultation which covers a range of topics including promoting local produce, encouraging people to grow their own food and making quality local food and drink available to all.
Simon Kenton-Lake, from Nourish Scotland said: “The new local food plan will have a huge impact on our communities, economies and environment of Scotland – and beyond. These Scotland-wide workshops are an opportunity for you to explore the opportunities and benefits that a local food plan could bring to you and where you live, whether that be in a town, city, hillside or island, and to ensure that your voice is heard in such an important consultation”
