Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment Richard Lochhead
Scottish Food and Drink Federation Conference
January 16, 2008
I am delighted to be given this opportunity to speak with you all this morning on a subject that I personally believe embodies one of the most important challenges facing the people of Scotland - namely our relationship with food, as individuals, as businesses many of whom are represented in this room, and of course the Government as well.
I don't want to go into too much detail before I explain why I am here today, and to explain the context for the wider national discussion on food which I launched yesterday at Sighthill Primary School here in Edinburgh. This was a fantastic event, where we went along to launch this discussion document, which you hopefully have a copy of, with the children in the local breakfast club at the school. This was a very successful event and it was very intriguing to speak to the children who ranged through the primary years who were having a healthy nutrious breakfast who might otherwise not had that and were literally saying things to me like "it's great because when I go to my first class it gets my brain working", and that's a phrase they actually used so it's very encouraging to hear that directly from the children at that event.
So, this morning, I'd like to:
- Give you a brief history about why I believe food is such an important issue for the Scottish Government, and ultimately the people of Scotland
- Explain why there is cross-party support for the development of a national food policy for Scotland
- Explore some of the issues that we must address, across all sectors of the food supply chain, to ensure that the future for Scotland's food producers and manufacturers is both environmentally and commercially viable well into the future, and contributes to making Scotland's people healthier and wealthier, building on the great assets of our natural environment we're lucky enough to have here in Scotland
- I also want to give you an overview of the process for developing a national food policy for Scotland - and how today is very much part of that process
I then intend of course to open the floor to you all and give you an early opportunity to put across your views, and raise issues you feel are of particular importance to myself in taking forward the development of a national food policy.
I just want to turn to the history and background of this issue, as in the relatively short time since my appointment as Cabinet Secretary for the Environment and Rural Affairs, and even before that, as the MSP for Moray, I have been struck by the signs of a food revolution that is taking place the length and breadth of Scotland. It's an issue I've been heavily involved in on my own doorstep in Moray and when I had the opportunity as Cabinet Secretary to travel further, that really brought home to me the food revolution that is taking place. I believe that issues connected to food production and consumption are of paramount national interest.
I'd like to recount some of the experiences I've had with your industry since coming into office, as I hope they'll give you a flavour of where I am coming from.In Orkney for instance, I was impressed by the community's successes at capitalising on Orkney's heritage and reputation through the Orkney branding and the innovation that was clearly evident across the Islands. I was astounded to learn for example that there's a number of butchers in England which will only sell Orkney gold beef because of the consistency and high quality of the meat being supplied by Orkney - and that is a message I often hear about the beef we produce in Scotland.
A few weeks ago I visited Loch Leven's Larder on the Loch Leven Heritage Trail run by the Niven family, and was impressed by the links made between local food production, tourism and health - not only in their shop but also on the heritage trail where they have placed notice boards extolling the nutritional benefits of each crop for those walking along the trail. This struck me as a fantastic illustration of a small business helping all to understand the multiple connections between our health and the amazing landscapes within which we live. Over the last few months I've visited numerous meat processors and food processors and at the number of shows which were going ahead, such as the Black Isle show, the expansion of food halls at these events was clear.
These are just a couple of examples of the types of businesses and projects I've personally visited so far. I know there are many, many more excellent food establishments, and that the livelihoods of many people in this room are interconnected or entirely dependent on the future growth and success of this thriving sector of our economy.
I am stunned by the variety of food products being developed in Scotland today, and inspired by the dedication, passion and innovation of all those I have met. But I am also acutely aware that passion and determination aren't always enough to succeed in the competitive global environment.
One thing is certainly becoming more apparent to me and my fellow politicians and that is to succeed in today's globally competitive market, Scotland's businesses more than ever need to act with greater collective vision, with more consistent and coherent support from the Government and our agencies. This is certainly the thinking behind the Government's support for your recently formed Industry Leadership body, Scotland Food and Drink and I was delighted to see Paul McLaughlin, newly appointed Chief Executive of Scotland Food and Drink, here today.
In addition to the business challenges facing your industry, all politicians all recognise that food is fundamental to each one of us as a source of energy, and our choice of diet has a long term impact on our health and wellbeing.
Nutrition affects our brain's development and functioning and our physical energy and capacity for behaviour. It can also influence our morbidity and mortality, and our life chances. Scotland's health is improving, but not fast enough, especially in our most deprived communities. Yesterday morning's publication of the Report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education into the Hungry for Success programme confirmed that Scotland's school meals are getting better but as we saw in the report there is a lot more to do, particularly in secondary schools sector. At least we are making progress but there are lessons to be learnt there.
We know that a balanced diet is the foundation of good health. By helping children to try new and more nutritious options, we know we can set them up with the healthy habits that will benefit them for the rest of their life.
Obesity is many of you will know is higher in Scotland than anywhere else in Europe and is set to overtake smoking as the most frequent cause of premature death in this country. A healthy diet positively affects our development and our behaviour; and we need to change lifestyles and habits if we are to achieve our aim of a smarter, healthier Scotland. Of all the subjects I've discussed within my portfolio with the people of Scotland - farmers, fishermen, those in the hospitality sector, retailers and consumers - none evokes more passion than food. We should celebrate the wealth of high quality produce coming from Scotland's farms, Scotland's seas and Scotland's food manufacturers. Our leading chefs are now celebrities, and communities throughout Scotland can celebrate local food through fairs and festivals.
There is a feeling of anticipation that we are on the verge of transforming the way that we look at the food on our plates. This is not lost on the Scottish Parliament and that is why on the 7th of November last year I sponsored a debate in Parliament on the motion that Scotland now needs an fully integrated national food policy, and I got the full backing of all parties in the Parliament to go ahead and develop a national policy - a process you/we are now involved in.There are a number of factors that influence the food we choose to buy and eat. More of us are looking for affordable, healthier options and would like to take a far more ethical approach to what we consume, both at home and in restaurants and canteens.
These ethical issues raise a number of questions:
- What is the carbon footprint of the food we buy today?
- Where do primary ingredients come from? - with a growing trend in the demand to know the provenance of foods, how do we know what products are truly "Scottish"?
- How much has our food been processed? - what extra ingredients may have been added? How much energy was needed to undertake the processing?
- Where does the food in my child's school meal come from? And what about the food served from hospitals and public sector canteens - how much of it is sourced locally?
- How far have the ingredients travelled to get to our plates?
- Who is getting the largest profit in the trading arrangement? Are producers and suppliers in Scotland and further afield getting a fair deal? Are consumers happy with the prices they have to pay?
- What impact does food waste and packaging - both commercially generated and created in the home - have on Scotland's unique landscape and environment?
More and more of us are asking these and similar questions. The expectations and demands on food producers and manufacturers are indeed mounting. So too are the costs of producing fresh, high quality and affordable healthy food.
Industry is rising to these challenges and responding positively. We have already seen many recognisable brand names leading the way in reformulating products to reduce the fat and salt content for instance. Industry is also responding to consumer concerns about the environment through re-engineering production methods to modify energy costs so helping to lessen the environmental impact.
Another major challenge for our food industry is building capacity to be able to cope to respond to public tenders for the supply of food through our schools, hospitals and prisons. I am well aware of the views on this matter from my fellow politicians, and I have already agreed to look at the way public bodies procure food to see whether we can do anything to improve that process. I recognise that we need to encourage our food producers and manufacturers to become more skilled and competent in meeting the growing needs of the public sector.
We also need to bear in mind that feeding Scotland sustains several industries of significant cultural and economic importance to our nation: our land-based agriculture industry, our sea-based aquaculture and wild fisheries industries, and the food processing, selling and serving sectors are all vital parts of the food chain here in Scotland
These industries will continue to shape our historic landscape, contribute to the natural heritage of our land and seas, and ensure the vitality and viability of both rural and urban communities across Scotland.
The production and manufacture of food is also fundamental to the long term health and wellbeing of Scotland's economy and, as I've said before, our environment as well.
This complex mix of factors, some positive and others more challenging, leads us to the conclusion that Scotland needs a national food policy. One that sets a collective "direction of travel" and gives a common sense of purpose about where we are going and what needs to be done in order to achieve the vision which hopefully we'll all share for the future.
We already have a plethora of good, successful strategies and action plans covering agriculture, fisheries, waste reduction, sustainable development, healthy eating, transportation, education and tourism. Since coming to Government and taking up the post, I have launched our new industry leadership body, Scotland Food & Drink; launched Scottish Food Fortnight and Waste Aware Scotland's 'Love Food, Hate Waste' campaign.
I have also personally endorsed the NFU Scotland campaign to encourage more Scots to ask "What's on Your Plate?" as I firmly believe that wherever we do chose to eat, in our homes or in restaurants or canteens, we should know where the primary ingredients come from.
I am well aware of the complex legal and practical issues attached to the Country of Origin labelling of food items, but I am equally resolute about the need to work with industry to find a practicable and workable solution, to increase the number of outlets where customers can know with confidence where their meat and fish originates.
Despite all the good things that are already happening in Scotland, we need a specific national food policy, one that brings all the right ingredients together coherently.
Having established at the outset the importance of food in Scotland's future, and having secured cross-party support, I have set about putting in place a process that is as inclusive and as flexible as possible to develop a policy statement that encapsulates the high level aims of this Government.
Our high level vision statement on food has been endorsed by my fellow Cabinet members as we fully recognise that food is not just a matter for me as Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, but covers the interests of virtually every corner of the activities of the Scottish Government - Health, Education, Enterprise, Transport and Infrastructure…the list is long. This has been accepted by Cabinet and is one of the driving forces behind developing the national food policy.
Our vision for food in Scotland is that it should make the nation healthier, wealthier and smarter with production making communities stronger and consumption respecting the global environment.Having set down what this Government wishes to achieve through a national policy for food, we fully recognise that there are multiple and complex issues to consider. I certainly do not have all the answers, the Government does not have all the answers. We don't have a monopoly on good ideas. We want to hear from you as individuals, as businesses, and as representatives of wider community interests to engage in helping us to formulate the first national food policy for Scotland.
I need you to engage with each other, with your customers, with us in Government, with nutritionists, economists, environmentalists, retailers and the public sector at large.
A fully inclusive dialogue needs to take place to thrash out what needs to be done to achieve our long term vision. The dialogue started back in October at the "Open Space" event in Dundee that many of you no doubt here attended.
The output from that event has had an influence on the discussion document Choosing The Right Ingredients - The Future For Food In Scotland, which I launched just yesterday.
This discussion paper is intended to stimulate the debate and engagement we need to get a shared and common understanding of the direction of travel we need to set in order to achieve our high level vision.
There are various ways you can take part in that discussion. As individuals you can log on to the website as outlined at the back of the document. You can also contribute electronically by going on-line to the Scottish Government website and giving us your comments, views and suggestions by email.
This is not just about individuals' views and opinions. We need engagement across the board at events like today, giving us a collective opportunity to explore the challenges and the possible way ahead.
Today's event and the session following this, and the rest of today's workshops will be recorded and form part of the big discussion that will take place throughout the first third of this year. We want to allow plenty of time for the issues that concern people to be aired, and for fresh ideas to emerge. So there will be plenty of opportunity for you all to hear me make this presentation, or a variation of it, over and over again the length and breadth of Scotland in the weeks and months ahead.
What happens after that? Well, my advisors, my officials in the food team and fellow Cabinet members will pour over all the responses to the discussion document and what we learn from events such as this, and will then form a view of what the next stage should look like. It is my intention to make an indicative statement at the Royal Highland Show in June this year, reflecting what we hear from the respondents to the discussion phase of the development of the policy. But I do have to stress that this process is flexible and there are likely to be many twists and turns before we can collectively set a firm direction of travel for food policy in Scotland, that we can all recognise as being right for the people of Scotland. But we are determined to take action and not just talk, but have the discussion phase take place and then get down to action. For many years we have been talking about many different dimension of food policy, this is the opportunity to have a national debate and take action to create a food policy.
It is a really exciting debate and everywhere I have gone in Scotland everyone has mentioned food to me. We know this is a theme which runs through so many areas including health and education forms part of the new Government cross-cutting approach.
I am very much looking forward to this debate and we have already been inundated with people wanting to take part, from all walks of life, from all incomes, from all backgrounds and all corners of Scotland. We look forward to hearing all of these views to help develop the first-ever national food policy for Scotland and enjoy all the benefits.