Food and Drink Leadership Forum
On 19 June 2008 the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, Richard Lochhead MSP, set out the policy framework for all of the Scottish Government's work on food and drink.
To help develop the policy, the Cabinet Secretary established five groups to provide recommendations in key areas.
These 'workstreams' were:
1. Sustainable economic growth of the food and drink industry chaired by Allan Burns of Scotland Food and Drink
2. Healthy and sustainable food and drink choices chaired by Professor Annie Anderson of Dundee University
3. Celebrating and safeguarding Scotland's reputation as a Land of Food and Drink, supported by Martin Wishart, Restaurateur
4. Walking the talk - getting public sector procurement right chaired by Robin Gourlay of East Ayrshire Council
5. Food security, access and affordability chaired by Reverend Professor David Atkinson.
The Cabinet Secretary also established a Food and Drink Leadership Forum made up of a high profile group of champions to oversee and challenge the workstream chairs to properly reflect the key fundamentals of health, environment, affordability and the economy.
The Champions were:
• Professor Phil Hanlon of the University of Glasgow for health
• Professor Jan Bebbington of the Sustainable Development Commission and St Andrew's University for the environment
• Ken Mackenzie of the Scottish Retail Consortium for the economy
• Dave Simmers of the Community Food Initiative North East for affordability
In addition, Gavin Hewitt, Chief Executive of the Scotch Whisky Association, was asked to represent the drinks industry.
The Leadership Forum Report
All of these workstreams have now reported. The recommendations from each workstream have fed into The Leadership Forum Report which sets out the whole Food and Drink Leadership Forum's settled view as to the priorities and agenda that Scotland, as a nation, should take to deliver on the Cabinet Secretary's clear statement of intent.