The Scottish Government

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I agree with Allan. Everything starts with the soil, and its condition. If the soil structure is compacted or suffers erosion and run off, then the whole nutrient production/transfer process is compromised. The microbes cannot produce the nutrients to feed the roots which produce the crops which, in turn, feed and provide the nation,s nutrients. Poor nutrition leads to disruptive behaviour and ultimately a failing civilisation.
The EU Soils Directive sets out to address exactly these issues. Support measures are in place to encourage those who manage and work the soil, to do so in an informed manner. Soil sampling is a must these days. It makes no financial sense to chuck on expensive fertiliser without checking your soil's profile.

The quality of our food produced on our farms in Scotland is largely down to the quality of our soils and on the whole these are poor.Over the last 50 or so years modern aggressive agriculture has concentrated on feeding the plants with mainly N.P.K. fertilizer and not the soil with all that it requires to keep it healthy.It has been said that food is only a fabrication of our soil and to produce healthy food we need to start with healthy soils.It is estimated that our soils contain as little as 25% of the minerals that they did at the turn of the century,that is why the veg we eat today is so bland it lacks a multitude of minerals and micro minerals.Our beef is much lower in Iron today than it has been.Is it just coincidence that 1 in 5 women suffer from anaemia and that obesity and depression are at epidemic levels.Our blood contains around 60 minerals/micro minerals and all are required at the minimum level if we are to function properly i.e. able to hunt and gather.
So what is the solution to our food problems here in Scotland?
1.Ignore it and it will get better
2.Keep pushing Scotlands food as the best in the world nobody will notice!
3.Use high profile marketing to keep us on track
4.Produce a plan to improve our soil and ultimately our food and of course our people.
THE SOLUTIONS ARE OUT THERE THE ONLY THINGS STOPPING IT ARE APATHY AND OF COURSE APATHY..........

yes i have to agree with Nick Nairn. We do have good fresh produce in scotland but we must remember it is seasonal. Fortunatly our food is at its best summer and autumn when we have most tourist visiting scotland.
its a shame that we have lost the local abatoirs and to some extent the changes in hygiene regulations make it difficult to eat localy produced meat. Idea Lets have mobile mobile abetoirs.
Todays big problem is the fact that there are far to many people supplying food. and most of these people do not know how to treat the raw ingredients between producer and consumer. good quality food is wasted before we get it into our kitchens. this problem is perpetuated by a growing number of chefs who through no fault of their own have never tasted foods like fresh sea trout, hill fead lamb, chickens that have scatched around steading.
I could go on but this would not be fair. As a chef and the son of a crofter i miss the flavour of real food that dose not require herbs and spices.
30 years ago I fish salmon off the wesr coast and stocks were declining then. I dont think its fare to hold fish farms responsible for the demise of the wild salmon.it is crazy to think that we have to feed in about three tons of fish meal to get 2 tons of red salmon.
This salmon has to be eaten fresh as it once frozen this fish tastes of what it has been fed on.It does not taste to good when smoked. there are a few good producers of farmed salmon but it would be fair to say that on the whole. Scotish farmed fish is a poor alternative to its natural ancestor

It is still possible to buy wild salmon from stake nets on the solway in Galloway. (The forgotten region!)

It would be good if Nick Nairn took the same time as he put into making the blog to respond to the legitimate comments posted by others here. The govt are great at wheeling out celebs to promote a message, but when challenging responses come back the silence is deafening. If we really want a proper national food discussion then the Nick Nairn's should get fully on board.

I wholeheartedly support any initiative to support Scottish Produce, like Nick as a chef (been to the cook school) adore the cookbooks and loved Wild Harvest. Do not rate him as an industry commentator on agriculture and fisheries though. BS makes valid points- as to Landward presenter it was always a must see for anyone in rural industrys but I now think it is more a glamorous country magazine (fair enough, the more coverage the better). We now lack a decent topical and informative rural programme for people already well versed in rural topics. I would like to see Ken Rundle putting a blog on here, the viewpoints of a man with many years of experience working with those involved in rural industry, who posses genuine interest and enthusiasm and knowledge.

Bruce S is quite right to draw attention to the farmed salmon situation which arises from NN's incorrect suggestion that salmon from rivers can be used by caterers. Even if it was legal there simply is not enough! I used to visit Scotland annually (as BS knows) to fish, but now I go to New Zealand instead where the trout are as big as most remaining scottish salmon! An end to fish farming might help to restore the natural scottish fishery

As Chef/propietor of a Seafood Restaurant I agree about the fish and shellfish we get from our shores and it's good to see Nick banging the drum for Scotland and healthy eating,but alass, a lot of folk in Scotand realy don't care, If it's not with noodles or a curry sauce in a plastic box they don't Know what it is

I like a bit of salmon too but the west coast of Canada is experiencing similar problems with farmed (Atlantic) fish driving out indigenous species. The problem is compounded by damming up of rivers - property development, logging, and hundreds of "green" hydro-electric energy schemes.